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
The United States has been built on the promise of prosperity and abundance, where, by allowing free markets, the average American consumer can easily afford goods considered luxuries anywhere else in the world.
—Juan Londoño, Baltimore Sun, 10 Aug. 2025
Look at places that mostly embrace free markets, the United States, Singapore, Switzerland, New Zealand and Hong Kong (until China’s government clamped down).
—John Stossel, Oc Register, 23 July 2025
The cable news channel is a far more powerful conduit to the Trump blue-collar base than the Journal, which has a more upscale audience and has long functioned, in its editorial pages, as a strong advocate for business-friendly, free market policies.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 19 July 2025
His administration promised to dismantle decades of state intervention in favor of free markets — policies that many observers warned would deepen recession and spark social unrest.
—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for free market
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Juan Londoño, Baltimore Sun, 10 Aug. 2025
Look at places that mostly embrace free markets, the United States, Singapore, Switzerland, New Zealand and Hong Kong (until China’s government clamped down).
—John Stossel, Oc Register, 23 July 2025
The cable news channel is a far more powerful conduit to the Trump blue-collar base than the Journal, which has a more upscale audience and has long functioned, in its editorial pages, as a strong advocate for business-friendly, free market policies.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 19 July 2025
His administration promised to dismantle decades of state intervention in favor of free markets — policies that many observers warned would deepen recession and spark social unrest.
—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 July 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 22 Aug. 2025.
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