freelancer

noun

free·​lanc·​er ˈfrē-ˌlan(t)-sər 

plural freelancers

1

: a person who pursues a profession without a long-term commitment to any one employer : freelance sense 1

hired a freelancer to write the article

… there were hundreds of photographers on the scene, some on assignment, some freelancers, most of them amateurs.

—Garrison Keillor

But while Renzo is the ultimate company man, a lifetime employee who reports to the same office every morning, Riccardo is the prototypical freelancer, a peripatetic problem-solver with five-dozen clients.

—Bruce Schoenfeld

2

: a person who acts independently without being affiliated with or authorized by an organization : freelance sense 2b

[Anthony] Grafton contrasts public intellectuals outside and inside the universities, and he takes note of today's nostalgia for the freethinkers who lived and wrote independently of deans and classrooms. But it is good to be reminded that in that golden era of freelancers such as Wilson, H. L. Mencken, and Mary McCarthy, voices like theirs were also raised in universities.

—G. W. Bowersock

Examples of freelancer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The same stablecoin that helps a freelancer receive payment can now be used for entertainment on crypto gambling platforms. —Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025

The 62-page review has been in the works for months and engaged with a colossal 2,500 BBC employees and freelancers across the UK including 20 production companies that make shows for the BBC. —Max Goldbart, Deadline, 28 Apr. 2025

Naturally, small businesses, independent brands, and freelancers alike often don’t have the funds or access to emulate large corporations' teams dedicated to choosing and vetting influencers. —Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2025

In the same way, your career success as a freelancer hinges on your ability to adapt fast and stay relevant. —Rachel Wells, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1924, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for freelancer

• enhancer
• merganser
• romancer
• anser
• answer
• cancer
• dancer
• lancer
• anticancer
• necromancer