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
Holly Jean Soto is an economist and the director of operations at the Ladies of Liberty Alliance, a network devoted to spreading the ideas of individual liberty and free markets.
—Holly Jean Soto, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 May 2025
But as the United States sat complacently in the top position, trusting that the strength of the free market would keep it there, China was carefully setting itself up as a challenger.
—Anne Neuberger, Foreign Affairs, 1 May 2025
Unlike today, Sitaraman notes, airlines were regulated as a public utility, meaning they were treated differently from other everyday goods or services in a free market.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 1 May 2025
Consistent with the Trump Administration’s deregulatory efforts, the Antitrust Division’s Task Force will seek to identify and eliminate laws and regulations that undermine the operation of the free market and harm consumers, workers, and businesses.
—Alden Abbott, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
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Holly Jean Soto, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 May 2025
But as the United States sat complacently in the top position, trusting that the strength of the free market would keep it there, China was carefully setting itself up as a challenger.
—Anne Neuberger, Foreign Affairs, 1 May 2025
Unlike today, Sitaraman notes, airlines were regulated as a public utility, meaning they were treated differently from other everyday goods or services in a free market.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 1 May 2025
Consistent with the Trump Administration’s deregulatory efforts, the Antitrust Division’s Task Force will seek to identify and eliminate laws and regulations that undermine the operation of the free market and harm consumers, workers, and businesses.
—Alden Abbott, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
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 11 May. 2025.
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