freelancer

noun

free·lanc·er | \ ˈfrē-ˌlan(t)-sər

plural freelancers

Definition of freelancer

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 Dixon’s work eventually led him to his first paying gig as a freelancer for Cathedral. — Kyle Neddenriep, The Indianapolis Star, "He's as much a part of high school basketball in Indianapolis as players, coaches and fans," 19 Feb. 2021 But even as the impact of their earlier reporting continues to reverberate nationwide, the journalists behind the investigation – Kenny Jacoby and Nancy Armour at USA TODAY, along with freelancer Jessica Luther – have kept digging. — Staff, USA TODAY, "USA TODAY Investigation Into LSU’s Handling of Sexual Misconduct Cases Continues to Make Impact," 18 Mar. 2021 Hiring a freelancer is a form of cost-sharing between organizations. — Courtney Pace, Forbes, "What's The ROI On Freelancers?," 18 Mar. 2021 Follow along with this post for updates throughout the day not just from reporter Tim Bielik and freelancer Kayla Harvey, but Twitter accounts from teams all across Northeast Ohio. — Tim Bielik, cleveland, "2021 OHSAA state wrestling tournament: Live updates from Day 1 in Division I, II and III," 13 Mar. 2021 There were no mitigation methods in place, said Josh Baker, a video freelancer who was helping with the stadium broadcast that day. — Michael Mccleary, The Indianapolis Star, "‘Oh my god, what were we doing?': Fans relive the last full-capacity Pacers game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse," 9 Mar. 2021 Some freelancer categories had a significantly more positive experience than other cohorts of freelancers. — Jon Younger, Forbes, "UK Freelance Life During Covid 19: A Helpful Survey From Worksome.Com," 9 Mar. 2021 Levinson’s previous film, 2018’s Assassination Nation, had received a scathing pan from Katie Walsh, who is white, female, and a freelancer for the L.A. Times. — Nate Jones, Vulture, "Talking to the Film Critic Who (Maybe) Inspired Malcolm & Marie," 25 Feb. 2021 As one of them, Mr. Akutsu, a freelancer who bounces around Japan’s many animation studios, earns enough to eat and to rent a postage stamp of a studio apartment in a Tokyo suburb. — New York Times, "Anime Is Booming. So Why Are Animators Living in Poverty?," 24 Feb. 2021

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