Definitions

laissez-faire

[les-ey fair, le-sey fer] / ˌlɛs eɪ ˈfɛər, lɛ seɪ ˈfɛr /

NOUN

abstention from interference

Synonyms

WEAK

do-nothing policy for the most free enterprise free hand inaction indifference individualism laisser aller laisser passer latitude let-alone policy live and let live neutrality noninterference nonintervention nonrestriction part unrestrained by law free trade permissiveness

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The private-college sector didn’t rise in a laissez-faire market.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026

It’s a get-in-where-you-fit-in or get-edged-all-the-way-out kind of city, wherein a deceptively laissez-faire game of musical chairs can determine your fate.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 4, 2026

“The question is whether he continues with a more laissez-faire approach in terms of prediction market innovation or whether there is a more comprehensive framework in the back of his mind,” Kim says.

From Barron's • Nov. 19, 2025

Taking a laissez-faire attitude toward information and financial transactions could be a very big mistake.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 14, 2025

By 1966, the warders had adopted a laissez-faire attitude: we could talk as much as we wanted as long as we worked.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Vocabulary lists containing laissez-faire

French Terms Used in English

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The Gene

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STAAR Government & Citizenship 2

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