freelance

or free-lance

[ free-lans, -lans ]

adjective

1. of or relating to work conducted by a person who sells their services by the hour, day, job, etc., rather than working on a regular salary basis for one employer: Compare full-time ( def 2 ).

   a freelance writer;

   freelance copyediting.

verb (used without object)

, free·lanced, free·lanc·ing.

1. to sell services by the hour, day, job, etc., rather than working on a regular salary basis for one employer:

   The illustrator used to be employed by us but is freelancing now.

verb (used with object)

, free·lanced, free·lanc·ing.

1. to produce, sell, or accomplish (something) while selling services by the hour, day, job, etc.:

   Every so often I freelance a magazine article for some extra cash.

adverb

1. in the manner of one who sells services by the hour, day, job, etc., rather than working on a regular salary basis for one employer:

   She works freelance.

noun

1. freelancer ( def ).
2. a person who contends in a cause or in a succession of various causes, as they choose, without personal attachment or allegiance.

freelance

/ ˈfriːˌlɑːns /

noun

1. 1. Also calledfreelancer a self-employed person, esp a writer or artist, who is not employed continuously but hired to do specific assignments
   2. ( as modifier )

      a freelance journalist

2. a person, esp a politician, who supports several causes or parties without total commitment to any one
3. (in medieval Europe) a mercenary soldier or adventurer

verb

1. to work as a freelance on (an assignment, etc)

adverb

1. as a freelance

Word History and Origins

Origin of freelance¹

First recorded in 1810–20; free + lance ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of freelance¹

C19 (in sense 3): later applied to politicians, writers, etc

Example Sentences

So she has some advice for journalists tempted by the burden of having bosses to “just go independent,” enticed, say, by the siren call of freelancing: “Just do a substack! It’s the future of journalism.”

From Los Angeles Times

Mark Wilberforce is a freelance journalist based in London and Accra.

From BBC

But she is also someone who found herself prematurely out of government back in 2017 after it emerged, extraordinarily, that she had run a freelance foreign policy operation while on holiday in Israel.

From BBC

The freelance writer behind the pieces was fired, with the articles eventually being taken down.

From BBC

The author is a freelance writer and media professional living in Long Beach.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• self-employed