laissez faire

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laissez faire

/ˈlæseɪ ˌfɛə(ɹ)/ UK
/ˈleɪseɪ ˌfɛə(ɹ)/ UK
/ˌlɛ(ˌ)seɪ ˈfɛəɹ/ US
/ˌleɪ-/ US
/-(ˌ)zeɪ/ US

Rhymes with -ɛə(ɹ)

Where it comes from

Borrowed from French laissez faire (“leave it be”, literally “let do”).

noun laissez-faire · laisser faire · laisser-faire

uncountable A policy of governmental non-interference in economic affairs. In brief, all this Mammon-Gospel of Supply-and-demand, Competition, Laissez-faire, and Devil take the hindmost, begins to be one of the shabbiest Gospels ever preached on Earth; or altogether the shabbiest.
uncountable A policy of non-interference by authority in any competitive process.

adjective more laissez faire · most laissez faire · laissez-faire · laisser faire · laisser-faire

Practicing or representing governmental noninterference, or minimal interference, especially in economic affairs; pertaining to free-market capitalism. I think the city should take a laissez faire approach to this; getting involved would only make things worse.
Advocating such noninterference. The Senator claims to be laissez faire, but he voted in favor of the subsidies.
Resulting from such noninterference. The price ceiling was well below the laissez faire price that demand would have supported, so there were always shortages.
of a person Avoiding interference in other people's affairs; choosing to live and let live.
Similar: forbearing, hands off, indulgent, avuncular, broad-minded, catholic, latitudinarian, laissez faire, lenient, liberal, open-handed, open-minded

Translations

Every language

noun economics: a policy of governmental non-interference in economic affairs

日本語	レッセフェール ressefēru, 自由放任 jiyūhōnin
中文	放任 fàngrèn, 不干涉 bùgānshè, 自由放任 zìyóufàngrèn
Português	laissez-faire
Français	laissez-faire, laisser-faire
Deutsch	Laissez-faire
Русский	невмеша́тельство nevmešátelʹstvo, лессе-фе́р lessɛ-fɛ́r
Tiếng Việt	tự do phóng nhiệm

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MLA

"laissez faire." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/laissez%20faire. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

laissez faire. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/laissez%20faire

Chicago

"laissez faire." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/laissez%20faire.

BibTeX

@misc{laissez_faire_2026,
  title = {laissez faire},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/laissez%20faire},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}