free market

American  

noun

1. an economic system in which prices and wages are determined by unrestricted competition between businesses, without government regulation or fear of monopolies.

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free market British  

noun

1. 1. an economic system that allows supply and demand to regulate prices, wages, etc, rather than government policy

   2. ( as modifier )

      a free-market economy

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free market Cultural  

1. The production and exchange of goods and services without interference from the government or from monopolies.

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Other Word Forms

• free marketeer
  noun
• free-market
  adjective

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

free market

We’ve been around a while and don’t recall when anyone relied “solely” on the free market.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 27, 2026

Paradoxically, the union has embraced the principles of Adam Smith: Let the free market work.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 25, 2026

The future of Rodman was of great interest to Europe's most successful clubs with the potential to pick up a world-class player in the free market.

From BBC ● Jan. 23, 2026

He addressed pro-democracy demonstrators during the city's 2014 Umbrella Movement, speaking in favour of a "free market in leadership".

From Barron's ● Jan. 13, 2026

The fate of Scion Capital turned on these bets, but that fate was not, in the short run, determined by an open and free market.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Related Words

• liberalism