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
Chris TomlinsonA 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 nounCarolyn Twerskyfree-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
Barry C. LynnExamples of free market in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In December, Bacal gave the city 120 days to release a housing plan that zones for 13,368 units by the end of the decade — the city does not have to build the homes, just have a conducive zoning atmosphere for their development by the free market.
—Claire Wang, Oc Register, 9 May 2026
The free market allows discovery of best ways to inhibit and punish undesirable behavior — ways politicians and bureaucrats could never discover.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
Erdoğan first emerged during the post-Cold War decade of unipolar, American triumph, adopting the language of free markets, liberalism, and human rights, and stretched those politics of optimism into the brief euphoria of the Obama years.
—Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026
Far from corporate greed or anticompetitive behavior, competitive discounts driven by volume and supply chain efficiencies fuel free markets, helping families save money on groceries, appliances, TVs, cellphones, computers and cars.
—Stephen Moore, Boston Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for free market
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Claire Wang, Oc Register, 9 May 2026
The free market allows discovery of best ways to inhibit and punish undesirable behavior — ways politicians and bureaucrats could never discover.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
Erdoğan first emerged during the post-Cold War decade of unipolar, American triumph, adopting the language of free markets, liberalism, and human rights, and stretched those politics of optimism into the brief euphoria of the Obama years.
—Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026
Far from corporate greed or anticompetitive behavior, competitive discounts driven by volume and supply chain efficiencies fuel free markets, helping families save money on groceries, appliances, TVs, cellphones, computers and cars.
—Stephen Moore, Boston Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for free market
Cite this Entry
“Free market.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/free%20market. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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