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freelance

freelance

99 3.8
Working for different clients, not in a permanent job
  • adjective
  • /ˈfriːlæns/
translation icon : independiente
  • - Who are you? - I'm a freelance journalist.
  • a freelance writer
  • freelance work
  • a freelance journalist

And yeah, I'm, I'm just, I'm freelance, so I'm kind of all over the place.

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Examples

  • Lori A. May is a freelance writer, instructor, and the author of four books.

    Academic text (2011)
  • I forgot you guys are freelance artists.

  • You will be engaged on a freelance basis, Job by job.

  • Or maybe a few nice, safe freelance writing projects I can tackle at home.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • And so then you move to New York City, right, where you're working as a freelance makeup artist.

  • Pat McNees was an experienced freelance journalist when she received her first commissioned contract for a biography.

    Academic text (2008)
  • It's almost a rite of passage for aspiring freelance travel writers to start by writing for regional travel magazines.

    Academic text (2011)
  • She works as a freelance designer, taking on projects from various clients.

  • As a freelance photographer, he travels frequently to cover different events.

  • Many writers prefer being freelance because it offers them more flexibility in choosing assignments.

Synonyms

self-employed
vsfreelance
31 3.4

A person who works for themselves and runs their own business

works independently but mainly for multiple clients on separate projects
jobbing
vsfreelance
  • UK
6.9

Working in short, temporary jobs for different people

focuses on project work for different clients rather than casual short jobs

Antonyms

12 3.4

Paid a regular fixed amount of money for work instead of by the hour

How Independent

self-employed
31 3.4
freelance
99 3.8
temporary
557 3.0
permanent
650 3.2

Surface Forms

freelance positive

Morphology

freelance = free + lance (semi-transparent) = free + lance

The compound is historically 'free' + 'lance' and 'free' conveys independence, but the modern occupational meaning is a metaphorical extension not directly inferable from 'lance'.

Etymology

The word freelance comes from free ('not tied') and lance ('spear'), giving the image of someone who sells their work to different people. That's why freelance describes work done independently for various clients instead of for a single employer.