Laissez Faire Definition

lesāfer, lezāfer
noun
The policy or practice of letting people act without interference or direction; noninterference; specif., the policy of letting the owners of industry and business fix the rules of competition, the conditions of labor, etc. as they please, without governmental regulation or control.
Webster's New World
Noninterference in the affairs of others.
American Heritage
A policy of non-interference by authority in any competitive process.
Wiktionary
Alternative form of laissez faire.
Wiktionary
adjective

(economics, politics) 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.
Wiktionary
(economics, politics) Advocating such noninterference.
The Senator claims to be laissez faire, but he voted in favor of the subsidies.
Wiktionary
(economics) Resulting from such noninterference.
The price ceiling was well below the laissez faire price that demand would have supported, so there were always shortages.
Wiktionary
(of a person) Avoiding interference in other people's affairs; choosing to live and let live.
Wiktionary
Synonyms:

Origin of Laissez Faire

  • French laissez second person pl. imperative of laisser to let, allow faire to do

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • From French laissez faire (“leave it be", literally "let do”)

    From Wiktionary

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