freelance

noun free·lance \ ˈfrē-ˌlan(t)s \

|Updated on: 14 Aug 2018

Examples: freelance in a Sentence

Definition of freelance

1 a usually free lance : a mercenary soldier especially of the Middle Ages : condottiere

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

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

See freelance defined for kids

Recent Examples of freelance from the Web

Karie Angell Luc is a freelance photographer and reporter for Pioneer Press.

— karie angell luc, chicagotribune.com, "'It lifts you right up to heaven': Gulyas tradition continues in Norridge," 9 July 2018
William Biggart, a freelance photographer, was killed after dashing to the scene of the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York.

— ian duncan, baltimoresun.com, "Fatal shooting of 5 at Capital Gazette marks rare attack on U.S. journalists," 29 June 2018
Duncan’s talent as a freelance photographer was not missed.

— harrison smith, darryl levings and katie bernard, kansascity, "From gruesome wars to Picasso portraits: KC-born photographer David Douglas Duncan dies," 7 June 2018
Gregory Tejeda is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.

— gregory tejeda, Post-Tribune, "Preservation 'nerds' find beauty in Gary's decaying buildings," 14 July 2018
Phil Rogers is a freelance reporter for the Chicago Tribune.

— phil rogers, chicagotribune.com, "1993 White Sox reunion: A run to a division title — and memories for a lifetime," 14 July 2018
Shonda Talerico Dudlicek is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.

— shonda talerico dudlicek, Lake County News-Sun, "El Puerto's menu is full of owner specialties," 13 July 2018
Leslie Kendall Dye, a freelance writer, helped organize an event welcoming Gonzalez Garcia to New York City on Monday night; her six-year-old daughter helped recruit New Yorkers to attend and hold signs.

— pamela ren larson, azcentral, "These moms united to help immigrant mother rejoin separated kids in NYC," 6 July 2018
One works as a freelance writer, another owns a skate shop, a third has a sock line and so on.

— si.com staff, SI.com, "How Joey Chestnut Dominates July 4, Tony Hawk's Other Major Talent and More," 6 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'freelance.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of freelance

1819

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Other Business Terms

amortize, caveat emptor, clearinghouse, divest, due diligence, emolument, green-collar, marque, overhead, perquisite

freelance

adjective

Definition of freelance

1 a : of, relating to, or being a freelance : independent

a freelance writer

b : done by a freelance

freelance reviewing

2 : not sponsored by an organization

freelance terrorists

—

freelance

adverb

See freelance defined for English-language learners

Examples of freelance in a Sentence

I wrote a freelance article for a nature magazine.

Recent Examples of freelance from the Web

Its more than 2,400 members include freelance editors and university professors, and people who work in book publishing, online publications, nonprofits, government agencies, and corporations—anyplace where writing is in need of editing.

— john e. mcintyre, baltimoresun.com, "We owe a debt to Hank Glamann," 13 July 2018
So yes, there are actually a lot of ways for freelancers to find gigs these days, and yes, freelance gigs can turn into a lot more than your typical one-off project.

— steve strauss, USA TODAY, "Get your gig: Here are the 9 best sites to visit for freelance or contract work," 12 July 2018
Lanzmann tinkered in politics and journalism, working periodically for the journal France Dimanche, taking on freelance assignments.

— lori hinnant, chicagotribune.com, "Claude Lanzmann, director of 'Shoah,' dies at age 92," 5 July 2018
Zwieg, who has written freelance articles about baking for the Journal Sentinel, has been head baker for C. Adam's for 1½ years and with the company for 2½ years.

— carol deptolla, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "2 employees taking over ownership of C. Adam's Bakery in the Milwaukee Public Market," 5 Apr. 2018
Ralph Winingham is a freelance outdoor writer and photographer.

— ralph winingham, San Antonio Express-News, "Croaker season lights up speckled trout action at Baffin Bay," 28 June 2018
Now on her own, Maggie makes her way as a freelance monster hunter, tracking down magical creatures that threaten the relative safety of Dinétah.

— andrew liptak, The Verge, "Trail of Lightning is a breathtaking Native American urban fantasy adventure," 26 June 2018
Underrepresented groups face uphill battles of inclusion and visibility in major media newsrooms — in roles such as staff journalists, critics and assigned freelance writers — which are also historically dominated by white men.

— jen yamato, latimes.com, "Sundance and Toronto film festivals pledge increased access for underrepresented critics," 15 June 2018
Nathan Harris has been on both sides of the freelance economy.

— sarah hauer, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "This platform connects emerging companies with vetted freelance talent to grow," 14 June 2018

First Known Use of freelance

1891

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Other Business Terms

amortize, caveat emptor, clearinghouse, divest, due diligence, emolument, green-collar, marque, overhead, perquisite

freelance

verb

Definition of freelance

freelanced; freelancing; freelances

intransitive verb

: to act or work as a freelance

transitive verb

: to produce as a freelance

freelancing magazine articles

Recent Examples of freelance from the Web

Winters’ passion for the Capital had led her to freelance there for decades before she was finally hired as a reporter.

— aubrey whelan, Philly.com, "'It's a remarkable thing … we've got to protect.' In shooting's wake, a Maryland town embraces its newspaper," 30 June 2018
In 2001, Nack left Sports Illustrated and freelanced for numerous publications, including ESPN and GQ.

— charlotte carroll, SI.com, "Veteran Writer William Nack Dies," 14 Apr. 2018
After dropping out of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Harris started freelancing for small businesses in the city, helping them with marketing plans.

— sarah hauer, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "This platform connects emerging companies with vetted freelance talent to grow," 14 June 2018
Bryan previously freelanced for the Raleigh News & Observer and had a regular podcast on the changing media landscape.

— alexei koseff, sacbee, "California tried a new voting system. What we can learn from the experiment," 11 June 2018
In January, Rincon began freelancing with the Chronicle and Villager.

— staff reports, Houston Chronicle, "New reporter joins The Woodlands Villager," 1 June 2018
Faced with starvation, the population began freelancing outside the broken state system to survive.

— Bloomberg.com, "Why Doesn’t North Korea Want to Be More Like Its Neighbors?," 23 May 2018
The motion also said Phillips freelanced the dismissal offer without the authorization or knowledge of his supervisor, Assistant Chief Deputy District Attorney Rod Norgaard.

— darrell smith, sacbee, "DA vs. Noah Phillips: Office files motion against prosecutor running for DA seat | The Sacramento Bee," 11 May 2018
Zhang/Getty Images During several sessions, Messrs. Liu and Mr. Mnuchin met without others, leading to concerns among some industry groups that Mr. Mnuchin was trying to freelance a deal that would leave the U.S.-China trade relationship unchanged.

— bob davis, WSJ, "China Draws Up a Shopping List of American Goods to Avoid Trade War," 10 May 2018

First Known Use of freelance

1902

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Other Business Terms

amortize, caveat emptor, clearinghouse, divest, due diligence, emolument, green-collar, marque, overhead, perquisite

FREELANCE Defined for English Language Learners

freelance

adjective

Definition of freelance for English Language Learners

: earning money by being hired to work on different jobs for short periods of time rather than by having a permanent job with one employer; also : done or produced by a freelance worker