What does physiocratic mean?
Physiocratic means connected with physiocracy, the 18th-century economic and political doctrine associated with French thinkers called physiocrats. The doctrine treated land and agriculture as primary sources of wealth and generally opposed mercantilist regulation while favoring a natural order of economic life. As an adjective, physiocratic is most often found in discussions of the history of economic thought, as in “physiocratic doctrine” or “physiocratic economics.” It is not simply a synonym for agricultural or rural; it points to a particular set of ideas about wealth, property, taxation, and government. In modern usage, the word is formal, specialized, and usually historical rather than everyday. It is especially useful when identifying the influence of physiocrats on debates about economic freedom, including the intellectual context in which Adam Smith developed his own account of commerce and political economy.
adjectiveRelating to physiocracy or its proponents, especially the 18th-century doctrine that land and agricultural production are the primary sources of national wealth.
- Relating to physiocracy or physiocrats, especially the economic doctrine holding that land and agriculture are the primary sources of wealth.
"The lecture traced physiocratic ideas about taxation to the influence of French economic thought."
"The lecture traced physiocratic ideas about taxation to the influence of French economic thought."
"Historians debated the extent to which Smith's political economy retained physiocratic assumptions."
Physiocrats declared land to be the true source of wealth, turning a theory of nature into a blueprint for economics.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of physiocratic
Physiocratic was formed in English from physiocrat with the adjectival suffix -ic. The underlying words come through French from Greek phūsis, meaning “nature,” and kratos, meaning “power” or “rule,” so the name refers to rule according to nature. Related English words include physician and physiology, which also trace their names ultimately to Greek words associated with phūsis.
Related word forms
How physiocratic is actually used
Formal and specialized, chiefly used in the history of economic thought and political philosophy. It denotes affiliation with a specific doctrine and should not be used as a general synonym for agricultural.
Easily confused with physiocratic
Physiological relates to the functioning of living organisms or bodily processes, whereas physiocratic relates to the economic and political doctrine of physiocracy.