Regulate vs Overregulate - What's the difference?

As verbs the difference between regulate and overregulate

is that regulate is to dictate policy while overregulate is to regulate to a greater degree than appropriate.

(regulat)

To dictate policy.

To control or direct according to rule, principle, or law.

* Macaulay

the laws which regulate the successions of the seasons

* Bancroft

The herdsmen near the frontier adjudicated their own disputes, and regulated their own police.

To adjust to a particular specification or requirement: regulate temperature.

To adjust (a mechanism) for accurate and proper functioning.

to regulate a watch, i.e. adjust its rate of running so that it will keep approximately standard time

to regulate the temperature of a room, the pressure of steam, the speed of a machine, etc.

To put or maintain in order.

to regulate the disordered state of a nation or its finances

to regulate one's eating habits

* deregulate * downregulate * upregulate

* * ----

(overregulat)

To regulate to a greater degree than appropriate

*{{quote-news, year=2008, date=March 20, author=Diana B. Henriques, title=Commodities: Latest Boom, Plentiful Risk, work=New York Times citation

, passage=“It’s not a question of overregulating or underregulating. }}