制定 means 'to formulate' or 'to draw up', especially referring to official, formal, or systematic creation of rules, plans, laws, policies, or standards. The character 制 (zhì) conveys 'to make', 'to institute', or 'to control', while 定 (dìng) means 'to decide', 'to establish', or 'to fix'. Together, they emphasize the deliberate, authoritative act of setting something in place—typically by an organization, government body, or leadership team. It implies intentionality, structure, and finality.

This verb is almost always used with abstract, institutional nouns as its object: laws (法律), regulations (规章), strategies (战略), curricula (课程大纲), or standards (标准). It rarely appears in casual or personal contexts—it would sound unnatural to say 'I formulated my lunch plan' using 制定. Instead, it belongs to formal administrative, legal, educational, or corporate domains where decisions carry official weight and long-term impact.