deregulated

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "deregulated" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it when referring to the removal of regulations or restrictions in a particular industry or sector. Example: "The telecommunications industry was deregulated in the 1990s." Alternative expressions include "liberalized" and "unregulated."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

The main benefit, he says, is that it would end the current regulatory uncertainty.However, this piece of deregulation would, in effect, create deregulated local monopolies, observes Jim Cicconi, AT&T's general counsel.

The Economist

"We have successfully deregulated all sorts of industries, and I'm assuming that we will figure out a way to work Uber in down here," said Parker.

The Guardian

He deregulated the financial sector by repealing the Glass-Steagall Act, thereby laying the foundations for the most recent economic crisis.

The Guardian - Opinion

The report recommended experimental trials of either extended or deregulated licensing hours in certain local areas.

The Guardian

Agreeing with the immigration department that the "enhanced escort position" – a controversial elbow and arm lock, which Guardian Australia understands previously had to be approved for use by a Serco manager – be deregulated and "allowed to be used for all detainees who present any capability of escape".

The Guardian

For students the new era means paying back a greater proportion of the cost of a degree, and this cost potentially rising as the higher education sector is deregulated – although government loans will be available for a wider range of courses.

The Guardian

Follow the Long Read on Twitter: @gdnlongread This article was amended on 13 February 2015 to correct "Cheetham's" to "Cheetham Hill", "Castlefields" to "Castlefield", and "1867" to "1877", and to remove a claim that buses in Manchester had been deregulated "recently" – that happened in 1986.

The Guardian

Australia deregulated student numbers in 2012, and in 2015 the UK will follow, offering higher education places to all students qualified to enter.

The Guardian

Entergy's deregulated nuclear plants produced 13% of its revenues but a quarter of its profits last year.

The Economist

Its centrepiece is a series of deregulated and lightly taxed zones around the country, to be overseen by a new minister.

The Economist

They want the prime minister to use changes in the EU's architecture to secure concessions, such as opt-outs from European employment law or EU rules that harm the City of London.French sources call it "totally unacceptable" to allow British banks to set up in deregulated competition just across the Channel.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Apply this term when specifically referring to the legislative process of removing state constraints rather than a general lack of rules.

Common error

Avoid using "deregulated" as a direct synonym for "privatized". While the two often occur together, deregulation refers to the rules of operation, while privatization refers to the ownership of the entity. Mixing them can lead to technical inaccuracy in business writing.

Linguistic Context

In terms of grammatical function, "deregulated" serves as the past tense or past participle of the verb "deregulate", or as a descriptive adjective. As noted by Ludwig AI, it is commonly used to describe industries, markets or pricing structures that have undergone a transition from state control to market-based competition.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Formal & Business

20%

Science

5%

Less common in

Wiki

2%

Social Media

2%

Encyclopedias

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The analysis of "deregulated" confirms its status as an essential term for discussing economic reform and policy. With 60 high-quality examples provided by Ludwig, we see that the term is utilized by top-tier publications to describe the removal of state constraints from sectors like aviation, energy and finance. It is grammatically versatile, functioning effectively as both a verb and an adjective. While often interchangeable with "liberalized", it carries a more specific weight regarding legal frameworks. Writers should be careful not to confuse it with privatization, which concerns ownership rather than rules. Overall, "deregulated" is a precise and professional choice for any writer addressing market transitions and government policy.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

liberalized

Suggests a broader opening of a market or economy, often in an international trade context.

decontrolled

Relates specifically to the removal of government-mandated price or supply controls.

non-regulated

Describes a state of lacking rules rather than the specific act of removing them.

market-driven

Focuses on the mechanism of the industry rather than its regulatory history.

unregulated

Often carries a negative connotation implying a complete lack of oversight or protection.

freed from restrictions

Provides a more descriptive and less technical verbal alternative.

laissez-faire

Describes a philosophical or practical environment with no government interference.

opened up

A more informal phrase to describe increased competition and market access.

de-monopolized

Specifically refers to the dismantling of a single entity's market control.

privatized

Focuses on the transition from public to private ownership rather than just the rules.

FAQs

How do I use "deregulated" in a sentence?

You can use it to describe the status of a sector, for example: "The telecommunications sector was fully "deregulated" in the late 1990s."

What can I say instead of "deregulated"?

Depending on the context, you can use terms like "liberalized", "decontrolled" or "opened up".

What is the difference between "deregulated" and "unregulated"?

A market is "unregulated" if rules never existed, whereas it is "deregulated" if government controls were explicitly removed through policy change.

Is "deregulated" a formal word?

Yes, it is highly appropriate for formal writing. It frequently appears in authoritative sources like The Economist and The Guardian when discussing business, finance and policy.