free rider
Americannoun
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Informal. a person who obtains something without effort or cost.
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a nonunion worker who enjoys the benefits of union activities.
Other Word Forms
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"To avoid free rider behaviour, Saudi Arabia could threaten to put 1 million bpd back on the market within 30 days, which would lead to a drop in prices," another OPEC+ source said.
From Reuters ● Jun. 9, 2023
So the free rider problem is institutional: the union has to expend all these resources fighting on behalf of workers who are not members and do not pay dues.
From Salon ● Jun. 2, 2018
“If employees have shown overwhelmingly they want collective bargaining, it seems to me the free rider problem is insignificant,” he said.
From The Guardian ● Jan. 11, 2016
Many in the U.S. and around the world have expressed skepticism about investing in efforts to fight climate change, arguing that costly efforts would lead to a free rider problem of sorts.
From Time ● Sep. 25, 2015
He felt perfectly safe on the horse, who seemed to take delight in his free rider.
From Villa Eden: The Country-House on the Rhine by Auerbach, Berthold
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
