To remove or reduce government rules and controls from an industry, market, or activity.
From *de-* ('remove, reverse') and *regulate* ('to control by rules'), which comes from Latin *regula* ('rule'). It literally means to take away regulations.
Deregulation doesn’t mean 'no rules at all'; it usually means shifting from detailed government rules to more market-based or self-imposed ones. The debate is always about balance: too many rules can choke activity, too few can invite chaos or abuse.
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