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• at-will
  at-will

  adjective

  being, relating to, or involved in a work agreement that the employer or employee may legally end at any time without notice or cause.
• at will
  at will

  Freely, as one pleases, as in The grounds are open to the public and one can wander about at will, or With this thermostat you can adjust the room temperature at will. [1300s]

at-will

American  

[at-wil] / ˈætˈwɪl /

adjective

1. being, relating to, or involved in a work agreement that the employer or employee may legally end at any time without notice or cause.

   Companies in this industry often use both contract and at-will employment options.

   Since they aren't at-will employees, they can only be discharged with cause.

   Even in at-will states, employers cannot fire you for discriminatory reasons.

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at will Idioms  

1. Freely, as one pleases, as in The grounds are open to the public and one can wander about at will, or With this thermostat you can adjust the room temperature at will. [1300s]

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Etymology

Origin of at-will

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

She remains an at-will employee, according to people familiar with the matter.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026

US employers generally have broad discretion to fire workers for any reason, as most staff are hired under "at-will" contracts.

From BBC • Sep. 15, 2025

When you’re employed in an at-will state, anything can be a fireable offense so long as the firing is not discrimination based.

From New York Times • Apr. 30, 2023

Amazon is even able to block unionization of these drivers through a contractual mandate that they serve as at-will employees.

From Slate • Sep. 13, 2022

“Unionization gives us the power of collective bargaining and a stronger support system than we currently have access to as individual, at-will employees,” the eight full-time employees collectively tell The Times in a statement.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 9, 2022

Related Words

• candidly
• openly
• voluntarily
• willingly