market economy

American  

[mahr-kit i-kon-uh-mee] / ˈmɑr kɪt ɪˌkɒn ə mi /

noun

1. a capitalistic economic system in which there is free competition and prices are determined by the interaction of supply and demand.

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market economy Cultural  

1. An economy in which the greater part of production, distribution, and exchange is controlled by individuals and privately owned corporations rather than by the government, and in which government interference in the market is minimal. Although a total market economy is probably only theoretically possible (because it would exclude taxation and regulation of any kind), capitalist economies approximate it and socialist economies are antithetical to it (see capitalism and socialism). Market economies are also called free economies, free markets, or free enterprise systems.

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Etymology

Origin of market economy

First recorded in 1915–20

Compare meaning

How does market-economy compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• market economy vs. command economy
• market economy vs. capitalism

Example Sentences

For Jetter, Merz's China trip is a chance to take a "clear stance" that Germany believes in "a free market economy that is rules-based and wants a level playing field".

From Barron's • Feb. 12, 2026

Tourism has also tanked since the Covid pandemic, in part because Cuba isn’t a market economy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026

China has surpassed every other market economy to become No. 2.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 30, 2025

Clean hydrogen is enormously expensive, with prices far too high to compete against fossil fuels in a competitive market economy.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 17, 2024

The humiliation of being a priest in a market economy didn’t plague Father Mike while he was in Greece.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides