freelancer
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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:
Barcelo has been doing visual effects for 26 years, mostly as a freelancer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 3, 2026
"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
In direct messages between client and freelancer, matters of A.I. usage and ghostwriting can be discussed.
From Slate ● Mar. 20, 2026
During his time on the police beat and as a freelancer, Harris developed a fascination with crime and close proximity to its cast of characters from suspected murderers to homicide detectives.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 2, 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
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
Hobbyists use it on personal projects, while freelancers use it to spin up their own business ideas.
From Slate ● Apr. 14, 2026
Santiago explained that “depending on the projects we do, we look for specific studios. Or we hire freelancers directly, because we like to work in unique techniques like stop-motion.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 17, 2026
There were a few others, freelancers who’d step in when we needed them.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
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.
