freelance

1 of 3

adjective

free·​lance ˈfrē-ˌlan(t)s 

1

a

: of, relating to, or being a freelancer : independent

a freelance writer/photographer

freelance careers

working on a freelance basis

b

: done by a freelancer

freelance writing/photography

2

: not sponsored by or affiliated with an organization or authority

a freelance army

The Seoul government reacted sternly to [Sun Myung] Moon's freelance diplomacy, accusing him of "causing a split in national opinion."

—Paul Blustein

freelance adverb

freelance

2 of 3

verb

freelanced; freelancing; freelances

intransitive verb

: to act or work as a freelancer

She freelances for a local newspaper.

… after graduating from the Philadelphia College of Art, he [John Mecray] freelanced as an illustrator and taught drawing classes at his alma mater.

—Nautical World

transitive verb

: to produce as a freelancer

For a while, as he looked about for another book subject, Mr. [Tracy] Kidder freelanced articles for the Atlantic Monthly magazine.

—Edwin McDowell

freelance

3 of 3

noun

plural freelances

1

: a person who pursues a profession without a long-term commitment to any one employer : freelancer

… the 42-year-old writer, who is now working on a book about Evelyn Waugh and his circle, described himself as a full-time freelance.

—Herbert Mitgang

2

usually free lance plural free lances

a

: a mercenary soldier especially of the Middle Ages : condottiere

b

: a person who acts independently without being affiliated with or authorized by an organization (such as a political party)

ran for office as a political free lance

"Have you been making your addresses as a free lance or under the auspices of the Speakers' Bureau … ?" she was asked.

—Edwin L. James

Examples of freelance in a Sentence

Adjective

I wrote a freelance article for a nature magazine.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Andrew Greif Andrew Greif is a freelance sports journalist. —Andrew Greif, NBC News, 3 Nov. 2024

Amy is a freelance fashion and culture expert, and a contributing editor on Vogue Business. —Condé Nast, WIRED, 1 Nov. 2024

Verb

This is especially common with clients new to freelancing. —Sho Dewan, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024

Trump's running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) — who, unlike Trump, doesn't make a habit of mispronouncing Harris' first name, and has been a more consistent messenger on policy issues — has been more doing more of the traditional campaigning while Trump freelances his attacks. —Sophia Cai, Axios, 23 Oct. 2024

Noun

Ciao! Based in NYC, Laura Manske has been a staff editor at many top magazines, as well as an award-winning freelance journalist and photographer. —Laura Manske, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024

But one indie source said the freelance community could be hit hard by an increase to employers’ national insurance contributions, which will impact those who are paid via their own personal service companies. —Max Goldbart, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1891, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1902, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

1819, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Kids Definition

freelance

noun

ˈfrē-ˌlan(t)s

1

usually free lance : a knight whose services could be bought by any ruler or state

2

: a person who pursues a profession without being committed to work for one employer for a long time

a freelance writer

freelance

ˈfrē-ˌlan(t)s

adjective

freelance verb

freelancer

-ˌlan(t)-sər

noun