Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun An economic doctrine that opposes governmental regulation of or interference in commerce beyond the minimum necessary for a free-enterprise system to operate according to its own economic laws.
- noun Noninterference in the affairs of others.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun Noninterference; -- an axiom of some political economists, deprecating interference of government by attempts to foster or regulate commerce, manufactures, etc., by bounty or by restriction
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun economics A policy of governmental non-interference in economic affairs.
- noun A policy of non-interference by authority in any competitive process.
- adjective economics, politics Practicing or representing governmental
noninterference , or minimal interference, especially in economic affairs; pertaining tofree-market capitalism . - adjective economics, politics Advocating such noninterference.
- adjective economics Resulting from such noninterference.
- adjective of a person Avoiding interference in other people's affairs; choosing to
live and let live .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun the doctrine that government should not interfere in commercial affairs
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
[French : laissez, second person pl. imperative of laisser, to let, allow + faire, to do.]
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
From French laissez faire ("leave it be", literally "let do")
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Examples
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d4divine commented on the word laissez faire
the belief that government and law should not interfere into the businesses or conditions of people's working lives
May 29, 2008
whichbe commented on the word laissez faire
I guess the "small government" refrain is a dog-whistle for this ol' invisible hand Capitalist tenet.
November 27, 2008