Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

free market

American  

noun

  1. an economic system in which prices and wages are determined by unrestricted competition between businesses, without government regulation or fear of monopolies.

free market British  

noun

    1. an economic system that allows supply and demand to regulate prices, wages, etc, rather than government policy

    2. ( as modifier )

      a free-market economy
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
free market Cultural  

  1. The production and exchange of goods and services without interference from the government or from monopolies.

Other Word Forms

  • free marketeer noun
  • free-market adjective

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.

Paradoxically, the union has embraced the principles of Adam Smith: Let the free market work.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026

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

So the advisory firms arose from a free market to offer them analysis.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 9, 2026

In a free market, countries that constantly run big trade surpluses with the U.S. would be flooded with extra dollars beyond what they needed to buy imports.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 28, 2025

Inside the free market, however, there might be some authority capable of checking its excess.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.