free market

noun

plural free markets
: an economic system in which prices are based on competition among private businesses and are not controlled or regulated by a government : a market (see market entry 1 sense 4d) operating by free competition
… the free market works best when businesses compete to provide the best services …Chris Tomlinson
A free market, technically, requires no government intervention, which is why capitalists usually land on the right of the political spectrum. In America, the government regulates businesses for reasons of social welfare and public safety …, so we don't operate in a truly free market.Carolyn Twersky
often hyphenated when used before another noun
free-market competition
free-market principles
One of the basic premises of the free-market system is that actors are free to buy from or sell to a variety of other actors.Barry C. Lynn

Examples of free market in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Republicans, who generally favor free markets, have won control of the Senate and the House of Representatives as well. Trefis Team, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024 The case could set a precedent for how the U.S. addresses foreign ownership of digital platforms while balancing national security and free market principles. Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024 Despite the business community’s potential to be a powerful ally in the climate fight, it has largely been sidelined by free market ideologies that promote voluntary corporate sustainability over necessary regulation. Auden Schendler, Harvard Business Review, 25 Nov. 2024 Zoë Schiffer: Particularly for the last two, suspicion of centralized power and the importance of free markets, those feel like tenets that have come up again and again in recent years in the tech industry for sure. Lauren Goode, WIRED, 21 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for free market 

Word History

First Known Use

1642, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of free market was in 1642

Dictionary Entries Near free market

Cite this Entry

“Free market.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/free%20market. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

free market

noun
: an economic market operating by free competition
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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