laissez-faire
Say it: less-ay FAIR /ˌlɛseɪ ˈfɛə/ · adjective
What “laissez-faire” means
Letting things happen without stepping in or controlling them.
More precisely: Leaving things to take their own course, without interfering or regulating.
When to use it
For a hands-off approach to management or economic regulation, neutrally or critically depending on the results.
Memory trick
French for let do: picture someone stepping back and letting others get on with it.
Similar words
hands-off, non-interventionist, permissive
Where it comes from
French, 'let do', a slogan of 18th-century free-market economists.
Quick check
A manager lets staff choose their own methods and rarely checks or directs their work. Her approach is…
authoritarian or laissez-faire?
Show the answer
laissez-faire
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