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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

Now, historically, the heads of agencies like the State and Commerce and Defense departments have already been subject to at-will presidential control.

From Slate • Jun. 29, 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

“That would turn for-cause protection into little more than at-will employment.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 29, 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

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

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 19, 2024

Related Words

• candidly
• openly
• voluntarily
• willingly