laissez-faire

Where does the word "laissez-faire" come from? It comes from French laissez faire, and was adopted directly into English (1820s).

Laissez-faire’s story begins in French: laissez faire meant “let them do.” 'let them do': the merchant Vincent de Gournay's maxim, 'laissez faire, laissez passer', was taken up by the Physiocrat economists. It reached English by 1820s as laissez-faire. Borrowed in economic debate about free trade. Today, laissez-faire means the policy of leaving things to take their own course without interfering.

1. Stage 1 · French · 1750s laissez faire "let them do", 'let them do': the merchant Vincent de Gournay's maxim, 'laissez faire, laissez passer', was taken up by the Physiocrat economists.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1820s laissez-faire "non-interference", borrowed in economic debate about free trade.