Definition of "overregulate" [overregulate]

• To burden excessively with rules and regulations: did not want to overregulate the airlines. (verb-transitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The three council members who voted against the ban used "overregulate" and "overkill" to describe the measure."
• "Mr. Le Maire said that diverging interests made any agreement difficult: China, for example, is worried about demands for greater transparency of food stocks and production; and the U.K. is concerned not to overregulate the commodities trade."
• "Conservatives have long warned that the Obama FCC might revive the doctrine anyway, so it's only fair to note when a regulatory agency resists the urge to overregulate."