Well regulated
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Well regulated constitutional
Working properly and in good order — as in a well-drilled, well-functioning militia. It does not mean 'controlled by government regulations.'
Technical: In the Second Amendment's prefatory clause ('A well regulated Militia'), founding-era usage denoted a body that was properly disciplined and in good working order, per District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570 (2008).
Founding-era note: 'Regulate/regulated' in the 18th century commonly meant 'to make regular, orderly, or well-functioning' — distinct from the modern sense of imposing legal restrictions.
A dictionary entry is reference: it describes how a term is used. It is not itself binding law. Why that matters →
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