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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

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

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

Slaughter overturned the 1935 Humphrey’s Executor precedent, which had protected regulators from at-will termination for 91 years.

From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026

In 2017, Nicklaus terminated his employment agreement with the company but continued on an at-will basis.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 24, 2025

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

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 19, 2024

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

With brokerage commissions eliminated, an investor can create their own dividend at will by selling only as much as they need.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

Instead, the surviving spouse can redeploy the funds at will.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026

Besides, Mazin’s most significant plot tweak is much more striking: he gives George’s flock the power to forget any unpleasant thing they want to as a group, at will.

From Salon ● May 17, 2026

She avoids my stare, probably because she knows I'm imagining they are lasers and whatever I look at will be forced to spontaneously combust.

From "Starfish" by Akemi Dawn Bowman

Related Words

• candidly
• openly
• voluntarily
• willingly