laissez faire

English

WOTD – 13 July 2008    

Wikipedia

Alternative forms

• laissez-faire

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˈlæs.eɪ ˌfeə(ɹ)/, /ˈleɪ.seɪ ˌfeə(ɹ)/, X-SAMPA: /"l{s.eI %fe@(r)/, /"leI.seI %fe@(r)/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

laissez faire

1. (economics) A policy of governmental non-interference in economic affairs.
2. A policy of non-interference by authority in any competitive process.

Translations

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

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 放任 (cmn) (fàngrèn), 不干涉 (cmn) (bùgānshè), 自由放任 (cmn) (zìyóufàngrèn)

• Finnish: ‎laissez-faire -politiikka
• French: laissez-faire (fr) m

• German: Laissez-faire (de) n
• Icelandic: afskiptaleysi stjórnvalda (is) n
• Japanese: レッセフェール (ja) (ressefēru), 自由放任 (ja) (じゆうほうにん, jiyūhōnin)
• Russian: невмешательство (ru) (nevmešátelʹstvo) n , лессе-фер (ru) (lessɛ-fɛ́r) m 

Quotations

• For usage examples of this term, see the citations page.

Usage notes

• Usually spelled "laissez-faire" in its common attributive use.

Adjective

laissez faire (comparative more laissez faire, superlative most laissez faire)

1. (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.

2. (economics, politics) Advocating such noninterference.

   The Senator claims to be laissez faire, but he voted in favor of the subsidies.

3. (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.

4. (of a person) Avoiding interference in other people's affairs; choosing to live and let live.

Translations

economics, politics: practicing or representing governmental noninterference, or minimal interference

• Finnish: laissez-faire (fi)

politics: advocating such noninterference

economics: resulting from such noninterference

of a person: avoiding interference in other people's affairs

• Icelandic: afskiptalaus (is) m, afskiptaleysis- (is)

See also

• laissez aller
• laissez passer
• let it be

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French

Pronunciation

Audio (France)

(file)

Noun

laissez faire m (usually uncountable)

1. (rare) Dated form of laisser-faire.

Verb

laissez faire

1. Second-person plural indicative present form of laisser faire
2. Second-person plural imperative present form of laisser faire