free trade
Americannoun
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trade between countries, free from governmental restrictions or duties.
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international trade free from protective duties and subject only to such tariffs as are needed for revenue.
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the system, principles, or maintenance of such trade.
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Chiefly Scot. smuggling.
noun
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international trade that is free of such government interference as import quotas, export subsidies, protective tariffs, etc Compare protection
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archaic illicit trade; smuggling
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of free trade
First recorded in 1600–10
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.
Canada, locked in a trade war with the United States, opened talks with Turkey Thursday on a free trade agreement during a landmark visit by Prime Minister Mark Carney.
From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026
The U.S. remains their main market, but incremental growth will increasingly come from elsewhere, helped by free trade pacts the European Union has signed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026
An alternative path would see flows of exports and imports centered on free trade agreements, which have proliferated in recent years.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
Germany, the largest EU economy, supports talks towards a European Union free trade deal with the Emirates.
From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026
The agent poured himself a cup of free trade coffee from the wheezing pot, took a sip, and frowned.
From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
