employment at will

noun

A traditional principle of law, recognized in some jurisdictions, which holds that, in the absence of a contract to the contrary, an employment relationship can be terminated at any time by the employer or employee, for any reason or for no reason whatever.

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Meanings

nounemployment at will (uncountable)

alternative at will employment · alternative at-will employment · alternative employment-at-will

  1. uncountablelawA traditional principle of law, recognized in some jurisdictions, which holds that, in the absence of a contract to the contrary, an employment relationship can be terminated at any time by the employer or employee, for any reason or for no reason whatever.
Cite this entry
APA

employment at will. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/employment%20at%20will

MLA

“employment at will.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/employment%20at%20will. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “employment at will,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/employment%20at%20will.

Source: employment at will on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.