This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
free enterprise
[ free-en-ter-prahyz ]
/ ˈfri ˈɛn tərˌpraɪz /
See the most commonly confused word associated with free enterprise
Save This Word!
This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
noun
an economic and political doctrine holding that a capitalist economy can regulate itself in a freely competitive market through the relationship of supply and demand with a minimum of governmental intervention and regulation.
the practice of free enterprise in an economy, or the right to practice it.
COMPARE MEANINGS
Click for a side-by-side comparison of meanings. Use the word comparison feature to learn the differences between similar and commonly confused words.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?
Also called private enterprise.
Origin of free enterprise
First recorded in 1885–90
OTHER WORDS FROM free enterprise
free-en·ter·pris·ing, adjectiveWords nearby free enterprise
freedom rider, Freedom Riders, freedwoman, free electron, free energy, free enterprise, free enterpriser, free expansion, free fall, free-fire zone, free flight
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use free enterprise in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for free enterprise
free enterprise
noun
an economic system in which commercial organizations compete for profit with little state control
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for free enterprise
free enterprise
The freedom of private businesses to operate competitively for profit with minimal governmental regulation.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Other Idioms and Phrases with free enterprise
free enterprise
Also, private enterprise. An undertaking on one's own behalf, especially a shady or illegal one. For example, The city treasurer didn't bother with competitive bids; the spirit of free enterprise just led him to his brother-in-law, or The sergeant indulged in a little private enterprise, selling cigarettes on the black market. This sarcastic application of a term that has meant, since about 1885, the freedom of private businesses to operate competitively for profit with a minimum of government control, dates from the mid-1900s.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.