self-employed

American  

[self-em-ploid, self-] / ˈsɛlf ɛmˈplɔɪd, ˌsɛlf- /

adjective

1. earning one's living directly from one's own profession or business, as a freelance writer or artist, rather than as an employee earning salary or commission from another.

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self-employed British  

adjective

1. earning one's living in one's own business or through freelance work, rather than as the employee of another

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Usage

What does self-employed mean? Self-employed means earning one's main income by getting paid directly for one’s work, such as by owning one's own business, as opposed to being an employee and getting paid by an employer.When people describe themselves as self-employed, it typically means that this is their primary way of earning income, and that they do it full-time—as opposed to working as an employee and doing freelance work on the side, for example.The term self-employed is often used by and applied to people who consider themselves business owners, freelancers, and entrepreneurs.Self-employed is sometimes used to collectively refer to self-employed people, as in This program is intended to help the self-employed. The state of being self-employed is self-employment.Example: I love being self-employed—my boss is amazing.

Other Word Forms

• self-employment noun

Etymology

Origin of self-employed

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

Mr Jones, who was a self-employed recruitment consultant, had told police he had taken the day off work on the day the Toozes were killed.

From BBC

The ACA marketplace is a destination for self-employed workers and early retirees who don’t yet qualify for Medicare coverage, which starts at age 65.

From MarketWatch

ACA, or Obamacare, plans are a critical option for people who are self-employed, contractors or between jobs.

From MarketWatch

With over half of India's working-age population out of the labour force and nearly 60% of workers self-employed, it's clear the old rules were failing.

From BBC

The 26-year-old says that being self-employed allows her to be flexible with her working hours, which helps with childcare.

From BBC