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Restrict vs Regulate - What's the difference?

restrict | regulate | Related terms |

As verbs the difference between restrict and regulate

is that restrict is to restrain within bounds; to limit; to confine; as, to restrict worlds to a particular meaning; to restrict a patient to a certain diet while regulate is to dictate policy.

As an adjective restrict

is restricted.

restrict

English

Verb

(en verb)
  • To restrain within bounds; to limit; to confine; as, to restrict worlds to a particular meaning; to restrict a patient to a certain diet.
  • * {{quote-news
  • , year=2011 , date=September 28 , author=Jon Smith , title=Valencia 1 - 1 Chelsea , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=It was no less than Valencia deserved after dominating possession in the final 20 minutes although Chelsea defended resolutely and restricted the Spanish side to shooting from long range.}}
  • (specifically, mathematics) To consider (a function) as defined on a subset of its original domain.
  • If we restrict sine to [-\frac\pi2,\frac\pi2], we can define its inverse.

    Synonyms

    * (to restrain within bounds) limit, bound, circumscribe, withstrain, restrain, repress, curb, coerce

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • (obsolete) Restricted.
  • Anagrams

    * *

    regulate

    English

    Verb

    (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

    Derived terms

    * deregulate * downregulate * upregulate