regelung

Regelung is a German noun meaning regulation, control, or governance. In everyday usage it denotes a rule or set of rules that governs behavior, a procedure, or a system. The term is used across legal, political, and technical contexts.

In law and administration: a Regelung is a specific rule issued by a government or authority to regulate a matter. It sits within the broader legal framework that includes Gesetze (laws) and Verordnungen (ordinances). The exact legal effect depends on its source, form, and scope.

In engineering and science: Regelung refers to the process of maintaining a system variable at a desired value through feedback, a core concept of Regelungstechnik (control engineering). A regulator (Regler) compares a target value (Sollwert) with the actual value (Istwert) and adjusts actuators to minimize deviation. Negative feedback tends to stabilize systems; positive feedback can lead to instability.

In general usage it can describe the mechanisms by which activity is governed or limited by rules to achieve order, safety, or predictability, such as environmental, economic, or market regulation.

Etymology: derived from regeln, meaning to regulate.