Laissez-faire (from the French, meaning 'let do') was the dominant economic doctrine in Great Britain during the Industrial Revolution. This approach advocated for minimal government intervention in economic affairs, promoting free markets, free trade, and individual enterprise. Proponents, heavily influenced by Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations, argued that market forces would self-regulate the economy more efficiently than state planning. Consequently, this policy shaped British legislation on trade, labor, and business regulation, until it was increasingly challenged by social reformers advocating for factory and labor regulations.