Etymology Map
Back to all words

Laissez-faire

2 stages from French to English.

Today it means the policy of leaving things to take their own course without interfering

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

1
Stage 1 of 2
laissez faire
French · 1750s
"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 of 2
laissez-faire
English · 1820s
"non-interference"
borrowed in economic debate about free trade
Drag to pan · scroll to zoom
Read the full story

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.