What does physiocrat mean?
A physiocrat is an economist who follows the principles of physiocracy, an eighteenth-century school of thought associated especially with France. Physiocrats sought to understand the economy as a system governed by natural laws rather than imposed political arrangements. They regarded agriculture and land as the principal sources of wealth and generally supported free trade and limited government intervention. The movement’s most influential figure was François Quesnay, whose ideas helped shape the early development of classical economics. Although the Physiocrats differed over details, they shared a belief that economic policy should accord with the natural order of society. Today, the term is mainly historical: “physiocrat” usually identifies a thinker belonging to this French school, while “physiocracy” names the broader body of economic doctrine. The word remains valuable because it records an important stage in the history of economic theory, before the relationship between markets, production, and government was formulated in the modern academic discipline.
nounA member or adherent of physiocracy, an economic school advocating the study of society and economics according to natural laws, especially the primacy of agricultural production. The term most often refers to a prominent member of the French Physiocratic school of the 18th century.
- An adherent of the Physiocratic school of economics, especially an 18th-century French thinker who regarded agricultural production as the principal source of national wealth.
"The Physiocrats argued that the wealth of a nation ultimately depended on the productivity of its land."
"A leading Physiocrat, François Quesnay developed a theory of economic order based on the natural productivity of land."
"The museum guide described the philosopher as a Physiocrat who believed that commerce should remain subordinate to agriculture."
The standard plural refers to members or adherents of the Physiocratic school.
"The Physiocrats advocated a natural order in which agricultural production carried the greatest economic importance."
The name literally means “ruler of nature,” reflecting the Physiocrats’ conviction that economic life should follow immutable natural laws.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of physiocrat
The word entered English in the late eighteenth century from French physiocrate, which was formed from physiocratie, a term combining Greek physis, meaning “nature,” with kratos, meaning “power” or “rule.” The resulting idea of “rule by nature” reflects the Physiocrats’ attempt to derive economic principles from what they regarded as natural laws. Its combination of the Greek roots also links it conceptually with words such as physique and physiology, all of which derive from physis.
Related word forms
How physiocrat is actually used
Chiefly historical and technical. In modern writing, the word is usually encountered in discussions of eighteenth-century economic thought, with the principal French adherents including François Quesnay and Jean-Charles de Le Mercier de la Rivière.