regulative

Regulative is an adjective derived from regulate. It describes processes, principles, or theories that regulate, organize, or guide something, often in contexts where the guidance is not itself the object of knowledge or action.

In philosophy, the term is used in Kantian theory as regulative ideas or regulative principles of pure reason: ideas such as the totality of the world, God, or teleology, which organize sensible experience but do not themselves constitute objects of possible knowledge. They serve to guide inquiry and experience rather than to provide empirical knowledge.

In biology, regulative development refers to a developmental mode in which embryos adjust cell fates and tissue formation in response to perturbations, in contrast to mosaic development where fates are fixed early. The term also appears in systems biology to describe regulatory networks that control gene expression and developmental outcomes.

In social science and policy language, regulative is often used interchangeably with regulatory, referring to mechanisms, institutions, or rules that govern behavior. Regulative language can emphasize the guiding or governing aspect of rules, rather than their formal legal status. The term is more common in theoretical or technical discussions, whereas regulatory is typical in everyday policy contexts.

See also: regulation, regulatory, regulatory theory, regulative ideas.