Public Services and Procurement Canada
Symbol of the Government of Canada

Institutional Links

 

Important notice

Writing Tips has been archived and won’t be updated before it is permanently deleted.

For the most up-to-date content, please consult Writing Tips Plus, which combines content from Writing Tips and The Canadian Style. And don’t forget to update your bookmarks!

Search Canada.ca
To begin your search, go to the alphabetical index below and click on the first letter of the word you are searching for.

laissez-faire, laisser-faire

The spellings laissez-faire and laisser-faire (British) are both hyphenated, whether the expression is used as an adjective or as a noun. Laissez-faire and laisser-faire no longer require italics in English.

  • School administrators are reconsidering their laissez-faire (relaxed) attitude to students’ clothing choices.
  • Laissez-faire is an economic policy that calls for government to intervene as little as possible in the economy.