freerider
Contributes nothing, gains
A freerider is someone who benefits from a collective resource or effort without contributing their fair share.
The term comes from economics and game theory, describing people who enjoy public goods—clean air, national defense, open-source software—without paying the costs others bear: The union complained about freeriders who refused to pay dues but still got the negotiated raises.
In investing, freeriding refers to buying securities without having the funds to cover the purchase.
One who cadges habitually
- spongeAbsorbent cleaning material
- freeloaderOne exploiting others' generosity
- leechBlood-feeding aquatic worm
- scroungerOne who begs opportunistically
hanger-on · cadger · deadbeat · user · dependent · bloodsucker · taker · mooch
Uncompensated effect on others
- commonsShared community resources
- benefitAdvantage or gain
- incentiveReward encouraging action
- cooperationJoint action toward shared aims
contribution · shirking · holdout · defector
Toward the bottom
- trailsMarked outdoor paths
- gravityMutual mass attraction
- descentDownward slope or lineage
- suspensionTemporary halt or exclusion
helmet · freeride · terrain · jumps · drops · stunts · enduro · berms
Riding on another's back
- tailgatingFollowing another vehicle unsafely
- loopholeExploitable gap in rules
- cheatingDeceptive rule-breaking
- shortcutQuicker alternative path
moocher
One who cadges habitually
- spongeAbsorbent cleaning material
- freeloaderOne exploiting others' generosity
- leechBlood-feeding aquatic worm
scrounger · hanger-on · cadger · deadbeat · user · dependent · bloodsucker · taker · mooch · bludger
externality
Uncompensated effect on others
cooperation · contribution · shirking · holdout · defector
downhill
Toward the bottom
suspension · helmet · freeride · terrain · jumps · drops · stunts · enduro · berms · tabletop
piggybacking
Riding on another's back
- tailgatingFollowing another vehicle unsafely
- loopholeExploitable gap in rules
- cheatingDeceptive rule-breaking
backcountry
Sparsely populated wilderness areas
steep · cliffs · heli-skiing · extreme · terrain · lines · chutes · pillows · spine · couloir
- winter athletesskier, skiers, skater, alpine skiers, ice skater
- board riderssurfer, snowboarder, skateboarder, wakeboarder, longboarder
freeridercontributor
One who provides something
team player · pulling one's weight · cooperator · workhorse · stakeholder
freeridersubscriber
One who enrolls regularly
patron · card-carrying member · premium member · full member · buyer
freeridergood citizen
Law-abiding community participant
altruist · benefactor · giver · philanthropist · do-gooder
free, rider, ride, freely, freedom, freeing, freed, frees, freest