laissez faire
Let it be
Laissez faire is a French phrase meaning "let do" or "leave alone," used in English to describe a hands-off approach—especially in economics, where it advocates minimal government intervention in markets.
A laissez-faire attitude toward parenting lets children make their own decisions.
The term implies trust in natural processes over active management: The coach took a laissez-faire approach with veteran players.
Not directly involved
- noninterventionPolicy of staying uninvolved
- noninterferenceAbstaining from involvement
- deregulationRemoving governmental business restrictions
- self-regulationManaging one's own behavior
permissiveness · free rein · unregulated · liberalization · privatization · decontrol · decentralization · small government
Not directly involved
- noninterferenceAbstaining from involvement
- detachmentSeparation or emotional uninvolvement
- permissiveTolerant, lacking strictness
- uninvolvedNot taking part
passive · live and let live · tolerant · unobtrusive · nonjudgmental · relaxed · easygoing · indifferent
Commerce without state intervention
- capitalismPrivate profit-based economy
- invisible handUnintended societal benefit from self-interest
- Adam SmithClassical economics founder
- classical economicsOriginal free-market doctrine
supply-side · monetarism · neoliberalism · Milton Friedman · market forces · entrepreneurship · competition · private enterprise
Minimal-government political philosophy
- individualismDoctrine of personal independence
- classical liberalismDoctrine of minimal governance
- voluntarismWill-based action philosophy
- natural rightsFreedoms inherent to personhood
self-ownership · spontaneous order · personal freedom · Ayn Rand · John Locke · natural law · free will · self-determination
hands-off
Not directly involved
- noninterventionPolicy of staying uninvolved
- noninterferenceAbstaining from involvement
- deregulationRemoving governmental business restrictions
self-regulation · permissiveness · free rein · unregulated · liberalization · privatization · decontrol · decentralization · small government
hands-off
Not directly involved
- noninterferenceAbstaining from involvement
- detachmentSeparation or emotional uninvolvement
- permissiveTolerant, lacking strictness
uninvolved · passive · live and let live · tolerant · unobtrusive · nonjudgmental · relaxed · easygoing · indifferent · unconcerned
free market
Commerce without state intervention
- capitalismPrivate profit-based economy
- invisible handUnintended societal benefit from self-interest
- Adam SmithClassical economics founder
classical economics · supply-side · monetarism · neoliberalism · Milton Friedman · market forces · entrepreneurship · competition · private enterprise · deregulation
libertarianism
Minimal-government political philosophy
- individualismDoctrine of personal independence
- classical liberalismDoctrine of minimal governance
- voluntarismWill-based action philosophy
natural rights · self-ownership · spontaneous order · personal freedom · Ayn Rand · John Locke · natural law · free will · self-determination · autonomy
- French Loanwordsa la carte, ballet, a la mode, au revoir, bon appetit
- economic policymonetary policy, tax policy, fiscal discipline, fiscal stimulus, fiscal restraint
laissez fairecentral planning
Government directs all production
interventionism · command economy · state control · socialism · statism
laissez fairemicromanagement
Excessive supervisory control
interventionist · hands-on · controlling · authoritarian · paternalistic
laissez fairerestrictive
Imposing narrow boundaries
regulatory · prescriptive · authoritarian · paternalistic · regimented
fair, unfair, fairness, fairly, laissez-passer, fairest, laissez-faire