Meanings
- uncountableeconomicsA political and economic philosophy that advocates the elimination of the state and other coercive institutions in favour of individual self-ownership, voluntary society, and free market.
2 more examples
Laissez-faire capitalism, or anarchocapitalism^([sic]), is simply the economic form of the libertarian ethic. Laissez-faire capitalism encompasses the notion that men should exchange goods and services, without regulation, solely on the basis of value for value. It recognizes charity and communal enterprises as voluntary versions of this same ethic.
1969 March, Karl Hess, “The Death of Politics”, in PlayboyAnarcho-capitalism is a creed new to the present age. Its closest historical links are with the “individualist anarchism” of Benjamin R. Tucker and Lysander Spooner of the late nineteenth century, and it shares with Tucker and Spooner a devotion to private property, individualism, and competition. Furthermore, and in contrast to Read and Rand, it shares with Spooner and Tucker their hostility to government officials as a criminal band of robbers and murderers.[…]
1971, Murray Rothbard, “Know Your Rights”, in WIN: Peace and Freedom through Nonviolent Action, volume 7, number 4, pages 6–10 - uncountableeconomicsA political and socioeconomic system that ostensibly recognizes only individual self-ownership, voluntary society, and free market but not the state and other coercive institutions.
The second was shock therapy. Implemented briefly in the aftermath of the Soviet collapse, shock therapy aimed to construct a free market in post-communist Russia. It produced instead a species of mafia-dominated anarcho-capitalism.
1998, John Gray, False Dawn: The Delusions of Global Capitalism, New York: The New Press, →ISBN, page 133
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
From anarcho- + capitalism. Earliest extant attestation is in American author Karl Hess's essay “The Death of Politics”, originally published by Playboy, in March 1969. Even though American economist Murray Rothbard is credited with coining this word, its first possible appearance among his writings is in his 1971 essay “Know Your Rights”, published two years after Hess's essay.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic لاسلطوية رأسمالية
- لاسلطوية رأسماليةphilosophy that advocates the elimination of the state and a self-regulating free market
Bulgarian анархокапитализъм
- анархокапитализъм (anarhokapitalizăm)philosophy that advocates the elimination of the state and a self-regulating free market
Catalan anarcocapitalisme
- anarcocapitalismephilosophy that advocates the elimination of the state and a self-regulating free market
Chinese Mandarin 無政府資本主義 /无政府资本主义, 安那其資本主義 /安那其资本主义
- 無政府資本主義 /无政府资本主义 (wúzhèngfǔ zīběnzhǔyì)philosophy that advocates the elimination of the state and a self-regulating free market
- 安那其資本主義 /安那其资本主义 (ānnàqí zīběn zhǔyì)philosophy that advocates the elimination of the state and a self-regulating free market
- 安資 /安资 (ānzī)philosophy that advocates the elimination of the state and a self-regulating free market
Czech anarchokapitalismus
- anarchokapitalismusphilosophy that advocates the elimination of the state and a self-regulating free market
Danish anarkokapitalisme
- anarkokapitalismephilosophy that advocates the elimination of the state and a self-regulating free market
Dutch anarchokapitalisme
- anarchokapitalismephilosophy that advocates the elimination of the state and a self-regulating free market
Esperanto anarki-kapitalismo, anarkikapitalismo
- anarki-kapitalismophilosophy that advocates the elimination of the state and a self-regulating free market
- anarkikapitalismophilosophy that advocates the elimination of the state and a self-regulating free market
Estonian anarhokapitalism
- anarhokapitalismphilosophy that advocates the elimination of the state and a self-regulating free market
Finnish anarkokapitalismi
- anarkokapitalismiphilosophy that advocates the elimination of the state and a self-regulating free market
French anarcho-capitalisme
- anarcho-capitalismephilosophy that advocates the elimination of the state and a self-regulating free market
German Anarchokapitalismus
- Anarchokapitalismusphilosophy that advocates the elimination of the state and a self-regulating free market
Greek αναρχοκαπιταλισμός
- αναρχοκαπιταλισμός (anarchokapitalismós)philosophy that advocates the elimination of the state and a self-regulating free market
Hebrew אנרכו־קפיטליזם
- אנרכו־קפיטליזםphilosophy that advocates the elimination of the state and a self-regulating free market
Indonesian anarko kapitalisme
- anarko kapitalismephilosophy that advocates the elimination of the state and a self-regulating free market
Italian anarcocapitalismo, anarco-capitalismo
- anarcocapitalismophilosophy that advocates the elimination of the state and a self-regulating free market
- anarco-capitalismophilosophy that advocates the elimination of the state and a self-regulating free market
Japanese 無政府資本主義
- 無政府資本主義philosophy that advocates the elimination of the state and a self-regulating free market
Korean 아나코 자본주의
- 아나코 자본주의 (anako jabonjuui)philosophy that advocates the elimination of the state and a self-regulating free market
Latvian anarhokapitālisms
- anarhokapitālismsphilosophy that advocates the elimination of the state and a self-regulating free market
Lithuanian anarchokapitalizmas
- anarchokapitalizmasphilosophy that advocates the elimination of the state and a self-regulating free market
Norwegian Bokmål anarkokapitalisme
- anarkokapitalismephilosophy that advocates the elimination of the state and a self-regulating free market
Persian آنارکو-کاپیتالیسم
- آنارکو-کاپیتالیسمphilosophy that advocates the elimination of the state and a self-regulating free market
Polish anarchokapitalizm
- anarchokapitalizmphilosophy that advocates the elimination of the state and a self-regulating free market
Portuguese anarcocapitalismo
- anarcocapitalismophilosophy that advocates the elimination of the state and a self-regulating free market
Romanian anarho-capitalism
- anarho-capitalismphilosophy that advocates the elimination of the state and a self-regulating free market
Russian анархо-капитали́зм
- анархо-капитали́зм (anarxo-kapitalízm)philosophy that advocates the elimination of the state and a self-regulating free market
Slovak anarchokapitalizmus
- anarchokapitalizmusphilosophy that advocates the elimination of the state and a self-regulating free market
Spanish anarcocapitalismo
- anarcocapitalismophilosophy that advocates the elimination of the state and a self-regulating free market
Swedish anarkokapitalism
- anarkokapitalismphilosophy that advocates the elimination of the state and a self-regulating free market
Tamil அரசழிவு முதலாளித்துவம்
- அரசழிவு முதலாளித்துவம் (aracaḻivu mutalāḷittuvam)philosophy that advocates the elimination of the state and a self-regulating free market
Turkish anarko-kapitalizm
- anarko-kapitalizmphilosophy that advocates the elimination of the state and a self-regulating free market
Cite this entry
anarcho-capitalism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anarcho-capitalism
“anarcho-capitalism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anarcho-capitalism. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “anarcho-capitalism,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anarcho-capitalism.
Source: anarcho-capitalism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.