zlacker

That's not the definition of free market. For one thing privately owned businesses are not required.

"In economics, a free market is an idealized system in which the prices for goods and services are determined by the open market and consumers, in which the laws and forces of supply and demand are free from any intervention by a government, price-setting monopoly, or other authority." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_market

The requirement is for individual trades to occurs without duress or manipulation outside of the trade. Also, prohibiting information exchange by government regulation is not allowed as that interferes with the market.

>>Retric+(OP)
Oxford

https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/free_market

>>CalChr+r
That's a simplified version, the actual oxford dictionary is not free online and should look like this: http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/52325

Between them you have : http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.201...

1 A market that is free from government interference, prices rising and falling in accordance with supply and demand.

2 A security that is widely traded on a stock exchange, there being sufficient stock on offer for the price to be uninfluenced by availability.

3 A foreign-exchange market that is free from influence on rates by governments, rates being free to rise and fall in accordance with supply and demand.

So, I can see why that was used, but it's not definitive.