self-employment

American  

[self-em-ploi-muhnt, self-] / ˈsɛlf ɛmˈplɔɪ mənt, ˌsɛlf- /

noun

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

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Usage

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.

Etymology

Origin of self-employment

First recorded in 1735–45

Example Sentences

At the other, far larger end, most of the increase is in self-employment and unpaid or home-based work, often within households or family enterprises.

From BBC

I was living in France on a self-employment visa, barely scraping by as a copywriter and freelance journalist.

From The Wall Street Journal

She started by asking AI to explain topics like self-employment tax and estimated payments, then she asked it to apply those rules to her situation.

From MarketWatch

They included those earning more than £1,000 in the 2024-25 financial year from self-employment or by letting out a property or land.

From BBC

The catch is that the advice isn’t always correct, as Barron’s warns: “AI can’t consistently provide accurate answers to tax questions and isn’t reliable when it comes to math calculations or interpreting complex issues like international, self-employment, and state tax law.”

From Barron's