freelance

1 of 3

adjective

free·​lance ˈfrē-ˌlan(t)s How to pronounce freelance (audio)
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
At the time, the couple lived in Berkeley, California, where Fernanda worked as a performer and a freelance graphic designer. Alexandra Hurtado, Peoplemag, 4 May 2023 Hale worked as a freelance graphic designer and a part-time grocery shopper, a LinkedIn profile says. Nouran Salahieh, CNN, 29 Mar. 2023 And for small businesses looking to trim costs, the free tool can automate swaths of their operations, providing a cheaper alternative to freelance workers. Olivia Peluso, Forbes, 21 Apr. 2023 As far-fetched as the show could be (how did a freelance advice columnist afford racks of Jimmy Choo shoes? Vicki Shabo, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Aug. 2023 This set off two separate trends — of more freelance workers having to cobble together jobs without company benefits and employee privileges, and of spectacular growth for corporate America. Hamza Shaban, Washington Post, 13 Apr. 2023 Before serving as an editorial assistant at PEOPLE, Sarah Sarah was a freelance reporter and editorial intern at InStyle magazine from 2013 and 2014. Sarah Kinonen, Peoplemag, 20 July 2023 Moving around in remote areas of the Amazon, whether by plane or riverboat, can be prohibitively expensive for freelance reporters. Erika Page, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 June 2023 Patrick is a freelance critic who tweets @TheBookMaven. Bethanne Patrick, Los Angeles Times, 2 Feb. 2023
Verb
Attempting to put the game away in the fourth quarter, McCord showed some freelancing ability. Nathan Baird, cleveland, 2 Sep. 2023 Selby intends to freelance to supplement that income but has around $55,000 worth of student loans to think about. Alena Botros, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2023 After 10 years working in the Harry Potter film world and then freelancing on other large-scale projects, Gower decided to start his own company, BGFX, with his wife, Sarah, also a prosthetics designer. Hilton Dresden, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Aug. 2023 That will be worth watching, as Jackson and Andrews often freelanced in years past. Brian Wacker, Baltimore Sun, 31 July 2023 In addition to freelancing for Parents, Asmundsson has created content for a variety of other brands including Yahoo! and Real Simple. Laura Asmundsson, Parents, 30 June 2023 Some are playing on Broadway, or for the New York City Ballet, or are freelancing for regional orchestras. Mary Carole McCauley, Baltimore Sun, 23 June 2023 Secondary jobs are mostly part-time work, followed by freelancing. Clarisa Diaz, Quartz, 21 June 2023 Anne O’Hare McCormick — the first woman on the New York Times editorial board and to receive a Pulitzer, in 1937 — had to freelance for the Times for 14 years before she was hired full time. Janet Hook, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2023
Noun
Stella Kim Stella Kim is an NBC News freelance producer based in Seoul. Jennifer Jett, NBC News, 13 Sep. 2023 Samantha Stutsman is a freelance writer and surveillance editor at PEOPLE. Samantha Stutsman, Peoplemag, 12 Sep. 2023 Courtney Biggs is a freelance journalist in New York City covering disparities in women’s health care. Courtney Biggs, Glamour, 11 Sep. 2023 Shop Greenworks 80-Volt Cordless Leaf Blower Brandon Russell Brandon Russell is a freelance writer covering gear and technology. Brandon Russell, Popular Mechanics, 8 Sep. 2023 Shop Sun Joe 48-Volt Electric Lawn Mower Brandon Russell Brandon Russell is a freelance writer covering gear and technology. Brandon Russell, Popular Mechanics, 5 Sep. 2023 Tim Zorn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune. Tim Zorn, Chicago Tribune, 4 Sep. 2023 Jessica Hartshorn Contributing Writer Jessica (she/her) is a freelance writer with several decades of experience writing lifestyle content and evaluating home and parenting products. Jessica Hartshorn, Good Housekeeping, 31 Aug. 2023 Brittany Anas Contributing Writer Brittany Anas is a former newspaper reporter (The Denver Post, Boulder Daily Camera) turned freelance writer. Ann Lien, House Beautiful, 30 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'freelance.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of freelance was in 1819

Dictionary Entries Near freelance

Cite this Entry

“Freelance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/freelance. Accessed 25 Sep. 2023.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on freelance

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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