freelancer

American

[free-lan-ser] / ˈfriˌlæn sər /

Also free lancer,

noun

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.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

freelancers

plural

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:

freelancer freelancers

"Consequently, they formed a deep-seated impression that, OK, Louis Vuitton was the absolute best and most prestigious," the freelancer told AFP.

From Barron's ● Oct. 18, 2026

As a freelancer in marketing, AI in business images are something Kelly is seeing everywhere, but often without tags meaning it is hard to determine whether it is real or fake.

From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026

A freelancer by day, I’d appreciated teaching’s miraculous equation: I did my job, they paid me the first of every month.

From Salon ● Aug. 24, 2026

The 25-year-old Long Island native has only worked in sports media for five years, most of them as an intern or freelancer.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026

I forget the year it was launched and if I was still a freelancer at the Free Press Journal or on its staff.

From Behind the News: Voices from Goa's Press by Various

Under these new guidelines, any contributor, including freelancers, living outside the three specified cities would require NOC permissions to cover a story.

From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026

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