freelance

or free-lance

[ free-lans, -lans ]

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: Compare full-time ( def 2 ).

   a freelance writer;

   freelance copyediting.

verb (used without object)

, free·lanced, free·lanc·ing.

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)

, free·lanced, free·lanc·ing.

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

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

freelance

/ ˈfriːˌlɑːns /

noun

1. 1. Also calledfreelancer 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

verb

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

adverb

1. as a freelance

Word History and Origins

Origin of freelance¹

First recorded in 1810–20; free + lance ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of freelance¹

C19 (in sense 3): later applied to politicians, writers, etc

Example Sentences

Abigail Higgins is a freelance journalist in Washington who covers gender, health and inequality.

From Washington Post

Lauren Wolfe made no ripples last May when she started as a freelance editor at the New York Times.

From Washington Post

Look, I’d much rather be doing the work that I’m currently doing than waiting tables, even though there are times as a freelance journalist, where my income has been about comparable to what it was waiting tables.

From Time

Derek Swinhart is a freelance writer working in the PC hardware industry.

From Washington Post

Erick Trickey is a Boston-based freelance writer who teaches magazine journalism at Boston University.

From Washington Post

Freelance journalist Austin Tice was abducted in Syria more than two years ago.

From The Daily Beast

He was a former bodyguard for Aung San Suu Kyi and a prominent freelance reporter.

From The Daily Beast

The Herald asked her to be a freelance reporter, but not because of her notorious status.

From The Daily Beast

Lottie Joiner is a Washington, D.C.-based freelance writer and senior editor of The Crisis magazine.

From The Daily Beast

He now lives in Seoul, where he teaches at Hongik University and also works as a freelance fashion photographer.

From The Daily Beast

Mom's a freelance relocation specialist who helps British people get settled in in San Francisco.

From Project Gutenberg

Denis, a Democrat at heart, was something of a freelance, inclined to tilt indiscriminately at both parties.

From Project Gutenberg

The thing that I should now most like to be is a freelance writer.

From Project Gutenberg

As I get it, he is a sort of freelance writer, and I think he was on an assignment then.

From Project Gutenberg

She could be a freelance in Love's lists, notwithstanding the inconvenience of a legal attachment.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• self-employed