Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

freelancer

American  
[free-lan-ser] / ˈfriˌlæn sər /
Also free lancer,

noun

  1. a person who works as a writer, designer, performer, or the like, selling work or services by the hour, day, job, etc., rather than working on a regular salary basis for one employer.

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.

"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

He later worked as a freelancer in Brussels for two years, covering European economic and political stories for the Atlantic, Foreign Affairs, Vice News, the Nation and other media.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 2026

He works hard for his laughs, sometimes too hard, but he’s an endearing imp — an overwhelmed freelancer trying to survive the unforgiving gig economy of his age.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 9, 2025

BBC Verify identified the additional strikes by analysing dozens of videos provided by a freelancer on the ground and material filmed by eyewitnesses that circulated online.

From BBC • Aug. 28, 2025

The friend, a former telephone company technician turned freelancer, came over to look at the equipment.

From Underground by Dreyfus, Suelette

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.