invisible hand
(in the economics of Adam Smith) an unseen force or mechanism that guides individuals to unwittingly benefit society through the pursuit of their private interests.
Origin of invisible hand
1Words Nearby invisible hand
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use invisible hand in a sentence
She felt as if an invisible hand were trying to erase Ekpar.
Even on U.S. Campuses, China Cracks Down on Students Who Speak Out | by Sebastian Rotella, photography by Haruka Sakaguchi, special to ProPublica | November 30, 2021 | ProPublicaWe need impact, the invisible heart of markets, to guide their invisible hand in order to achieve a safer, fairer and more sustainable world.
Modern Capitalism Needs a Revolution to Undo the Damage It Has Caused | Ronald Cohen | November 1, 2021 | TimeAnd, the theory goes, the invisible hand of the market ensures the outcomes for society are optimal.
When it comes to the behaviors that evolve by within-group selection, there is no invisible hand to permute selfishness into the common good.
Griffin is herself a character in the novel, the invisible hand on the other end of the tape recorder in all the interviews.
As in all economic transformations, the invisible hand of the market can only take us so far.
Did I Abandon My Creative Class Theory? Not So Fast, Joel Kotkin | Richard Florida | March 21, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTWith an invisible hand she gently and winningly touched the springs of action in other hearts.
Madame Roland, Makers of History | John S. C. AbbottShe felt a movement of the air close beside her and an invisible hand was drawn across her eyelids.
The Green Forest Fairy Book | Loretta Ellen BradyThough the princess shuddered, she consented, and the invisible hand was passed over her neck and throat.
The Green Forest Fairy Book | Loretta Ellen BradyAccidentally, so far as related to herself, Ruth went and gleaned in the field of Boaz; but she was guided by an invisible hand.
Female Scripture Biographies, Vol. I | Francis Augustus CoxHer faith discerned an invisible hand, and rejoiced in an omniscient superintendance.
Female Scripture Biographies, Vol. I | Francis Augustus Cox
Cultural definitions for invisible hand
A term used by Adam Smith to describe his belief that individuals seeking their economic self-interest actually benefit society more than they would if they tried to benefit society directly. The statement “What's good for the country is good for General Motors, and vice versa” expresses essentially the same belief.
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.
Browse