Regulatable

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Capable of being controlled or adjusted through specific mechanisms or processes to maintain desired conditions or outputs
2. Describing an object, system, or function that allows for modification or calibration to achieve target performance or behavior
3. Possessing the quality of being subject to regulation or alteration to ensure proper operation or compliance with standards

Etymology: "Regulatable" is a plain formation: the verb "regulate" with the suffix "-able," which means "capable of being" or "able to be" whatever the base verb describes. So a regulatable thing is one that can be regulated, meaning brought under rules, controls or adjustments. The base verb "regulate" comes from Late Latin "regulare," meaning to control by rule, itself from "regula" (rule, straight stick or ruler), which gave English words like "ruler" and "rule." The suffix "-able" comes through Old French from Latin "-abilis," which attached to verbs to mean "able to be done." Because "regulate" is the older and more familiar word, "regulatable" is essentially a derived variant built on it. Its meaning therefore follows the verb: the sense of physical or mechanical control, as in a thermostat holding a temperature, grew out of the older sense of governing by rule.

Synonyms: adjustable, controllable, modifiable, variable, manageable

Antonyms: fixed, unadjustable, inflexible, unmodifiable, immutable