freelancer
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of freelancer
First recorded in 1920–25; freelance ( def. ) + -er 1 ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Willey then worked as a freelancer in Algeria, before becoming the BBC's east Africa correspondent in 1964.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
The author is a freelancer and storyteller who lives in Glassell Park with her husband, two dogs and four quail.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026
"So when you download software, when an SME uses the cloud, when a freelancer sells a design service abroad, there are no taxes at the border," she said.
From Barron's ● Mar. 27, 2026
In direct messages between client and freelancer, matters of A.I. usage and ghostwriting can be discussed.
From Slate ● Mar. 20, 2026
The friend, a former telephone company technician turned freelancer, came over to look at the equipment.
From Underground by Dreyfus, Suelette
In recent years, Letterboxd has made a foray into journalism, hiring an editorial team of staff and freelancers, who publish solid film writing on Letterboxd Journal.
From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2026
Reining in the Fed’s freelancers, to Hubbard, is a manager doing his job—not a retreat from openness.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026
Hobbyists use it on personal projects, while freelancers use it to spin up their own business ideas.
From Slate ● Apr. 14, 2026
That’s a broad swath of Californians — including many bartenders and hairdressers, small business owners and their employees, farmers and farm workers, freelancers, ride-share drivers, and those working multiple part-time gigs to make ends meet.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2025
There were a few others, freelancers who’d step in when we needed them.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.