invisible hand

[in-viz-uh-buhl hand]

noun

1. (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.

invisible hand

1. 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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of invisible hand¹

First recorded in 1775–80

Example Sentences

The videos often seem to come from nowhere — devoid of any context like names, locations or professions — and pop onto a young man’s phone screen, guided by the invisible hand of the algorithm.

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Adam Smith’s invisible hand has developed a deranged sense of humor.

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Storage tanks were full, demand had evaporated and the market’s invisible hand flipped everyone the bird.

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Harvard theologian Harvey Cox pegged this tendency to exalt the Invisible Hand in lieu of a distant and unknowable god before the turn of this century, and it’s held strong through at least three global economic shocks.

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Twenty years after “A Million Ways,” the mechanics of cultural connection have transformed again thanks to social media and TikTok, where what you encounter as you scroll is guided by the invisible hand of data analysis.

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