independent contractor

[ in-di-pen-duhnt kon-trak-ter ]

noun

1. a self-employed skilled worker hired to do a piece of work under a contract that allows them to control how the work is carried out:

   Many of us work part-time or, like me, are independent contractors doing freelance work for various companies and individuals.

Word History and Origins

Origin of independent contractor¹

First recorded in 1855–60

Example Sentences

The clearest parallels can be drawn in other independent contractor roles, which make up around 15 percent of U.S. workers.

From Slate

In his amended complaint, Brooks said the woman is now a Mississippi resident who worked for him as an independent contractor for about 15 years.

From Los Angeles Times

In a court filing, Lankford said he was promptly hired back as an “independent contractor / sworn deputy” to investigate cold case homicides for 120 days a year.

From Los Angeles Times

Lankford, who said in a court filing he went to the home not in his capacity as a police officer but an “independent contractor,” showed Wang his sheriff’s badge.

From Los Angeles Times

The ruling is the latest in a tangle of court decisions over who may be treated as an independent contractor and who is an employee.

From Los Angeles Times