free trade
noun
: trade based on the unrestricted international exchange of goods with tariffs used only as a source of revenue
Examples of free trade in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Politicians rarely lose votes backing free trade, because the numbers—of voters, donors, and dollars—tilt decisively in its favor.
—
Z. John Zhang, Fortune, 28 Nov. 2025
Trump can be seen as a bastion of free trade for the Silicon Valley capitalists, a beacon of white Christian America to the heartland Evangelicals, and a fascist demagogue to the blood and soil nationalists.
—Ryan Broderick, Rolling Stone, 24 Nov. 2025
After Al Qaeda and then Saddam Hussein abruptly emerged as incarnations of a new totalitarianism, Michael Ignatieff and Niall Ferguson, among many others, impatiently urged the United States to assume its imperial obligations and impose democracy, human rights, and free trade through war.
—Victor J. Blue, Harpers Magazine, 23 Nov. 2025
Notably, tequila and mezcal are exempt from tariffs since both fall under the 2018 free trade agreement Trump signed with Mexico during his first term.
—Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 15 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for free trade
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.
Z. John Zhang, Fortune, 28 Nov. 2025
Trump can be seen as a bastion of free trade for the Silicon Valley capitalists, a beacon of white Christian America to the heartland Evangelicals, and a fascist demagogue to the blood and soil nationalists.
—Ryan Broderick, Rolling Stone, 24 Nov. 2025
After Al Qaeda and then Saddam Hussein abruptly emerged as incarnations of a new totalitarianism, Michael Ignatieff and Niall Ferguson, among many others, impatiently urged the United States to assume its imperial obligations and impose democracy, human rights, and free trade through war.
—Victor J. Blue, Harpers Magazine, 23 Nov. 2025
Notably, tequila and mezcal are exempt from tariffs since both fall under the 2018 free trade agreement Trump signed with Mexico during his first term.
—Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 15 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for free trade
Cite this Entry
“Free trade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/free%20trade. Accessed 3 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share