freelance

American  

[free-lans, -lans] / ˈfriˌlæns, -ˈlæns /

Or free-lance

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.

   a freelance writer;

   freelance copyediting.

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verb (used without object)

• freelances,
  present (3rd person singular)
• freelanced,
  past participle,  past
• freelancing
  present participle

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)

• freelances,
  present (3rd person singular)
• freelanced,
  past participle,  past
• freelancing
  present participle

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

• freelances
  plural

1. freelancer.

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

freelance British  

/ ˈfriːˌlɑːns /

noun

1. 1. Also called: freelancer. 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

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verb

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

adverb

1. as a freelance

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• freelances
  plural

Participles

• freelancing
  present
• freelanced
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• freelance
  simple
• freelances
  simple
• have freelanced
  perfect
• has freelanced
  perfect
• am freelancing
  progressive
• are freelancing
  progressive
• is freelancing
  progressive
• have been freelancing
  perfect progressive
• has been freelancing
  perfect progressive

Past

• freelanced
  simple
• had freelanced
  perfect
• was freelancing
  progressive
• were freelancing
  progressive
• had been freelancing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will freelance
  simple
• will have freelanced
  perfect
• will be freelancing
  progressive
• will have been freelancing
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of freelance

First recorded in 1810–20; free + lance ¹

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Explanation

To freelance is to work independently, instead of for a long-term employer. If you do freelance work, you’re free to say yes or no to any project. Anyone can work freelance (as a freelancer), but it’s often a writer or artist. To freelance is the opposite of working for one employer full-time and long-term. A freelancer — who could be a writer, a designer, or one of many other jobs — probably has many employers. The word comes from the Middle Ages, for "medieval mercenary warrior," which makes sense, since a mercenary is someone who fights for hire. It’s a free (not bound by a country) lance (sword). The pen is mightier than the sword, so these days freelance often refers to writers.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

freelance freelances freelanced freelancing

There’s a tendency to think that, because one has had any success at all, be it a musical callback or a greenlit freelance piece or a short story selected for publication, that they know best.

From Salon ● Oct. 12, 2026

And the ECB has previously refused NOCs to former England players who have wanted to pursue freelance T20 careers.

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

Michael Sincere is a freelance financial writer and the author of several books, including “Understanding Stocks,” “Understanding Options” and “Help Your Child Build Wealth.”

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026

The New York Times op-ed contract provides: “As a freelance contributor to The Times, you may not submit any material for publication that contains content generated, modified or enhanced by gen-A.I. tools.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

You’d find the freelance thugs pushing off for rebounds, and the A students, quietly showing off silky jump shots and then running back downcourt eyes down, trying not to look too pleased with themselves.

From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore

Now Ms. Woodland freelances for museums part time, and she’s able to do hands-on work with their collections, something she finds very fulfilling.

From New York Times ● Aug. 22, 2022

“I’ve been pleasantly surprised,” says Kim, who freelances full time as a copywriter.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 28, 2021

Even more dispiriting to the self-described workaholic who freelances in theater was that work was drying up as venues shut down.

From Washington Post ● Mar. 16, 2021

In addition to the garden project, Montoya also wrote a children’s book, which Ballachino submitted to the publisher she freelances with.

From Washington Times ● Sep. 24, 2019

A freebooter, named Franquet d'Arras, had, at the head of a band of about three hundred English freelances, held all the country-side in terror round about Lagny.

From Joan of Arc by Ronald Sutherland Gower

She began writing straight out of college, freelanced for years and eventually followed a path taken by many young Filipinos: joining a multinational in the country's booming outsourcing industry.

From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026

Prior to that, she led writing groups in juvenile halls across the Bay Area and freelanced in Cairo during the Egyptian revolution and Arab Spring.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 11, 2026

She has freelanced for Barron’s and other publications.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 10, 2025

She has freelanced for the Times, where she was a special correspondent based in Mexico City, as well as for the BBC, the Guardian and the Telegraph.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 14, 2023

I worked for newspapers and freelanced for magazines.

From "Tuesdays with Morrie" by Mitch Albom

Tang has been freelancing for the past three years.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

Now Mahran finds an escape and purpose freelancing to create mobile apps, websites and advertisements.

From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026

That was what brought me to marketing myself as an “academic editor,” and an “admissions essay advisor,” on various freelancing websites last fall.

From Slate ● Mar. 20, 2026

The fact that you’re earning $100,000 freelancing is extremely impressive.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 16, 2026

So the only advantage of working here as opposed to freelancing is that you don’t need a clientele or even a car.

From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich

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Related Words

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