self-employment

[self-em-ploi-muhnt, self-]

noun

1. the act or fact of being self-employed.

Word History and Origins

Origin of self-employment¹

First recorded in 1735–45

When To Use

What does self-employment mean?

Self-employment is the state of being self-employed—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.Self-employment is typically used in a way that refers to a person’s primary, full-time way of earning income—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.Example: I love self-employment—my boss is amazing.