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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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

at-will at will

But in the US, most private sector employees work under "at-will" contracts, which means they can be can be fired without reason.

From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026

Nieporte is a co-owner, not an at-will employee, his filings argue.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 2026

The court had to decide whether it would uphold Humphrey’s Executor, a precedent from a landmark Supreme Court decision in 1935 that protected employees of federal regulatory agencies from at-will termination.

From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026

And the secretary’s power of at-will removal resolves one part of the panel’s constitutional flaw.

From Slate ● Jun. 27, 2025

Principals have tenure protections as teachers but are at-will employees as principals.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 19, 2024

"That he does so at will with little opposition underscores how unassailable his position is at the moment."

From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026

An unlocked access gate linked the yard around villas to a bamboo forest, making it possible for the prisoners to enter and exit at will.

From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026

It gives him the ability to fly and to manifest objects at will, most often a protective green bubble, but also a bottle opener and a $10 bill.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

That panel would write a reform bill that Congress would have to consider on an expedited basis, although lawmakers would be free to amend it at will.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

I could see them or not, at will.

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood

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