freelance

freelance — adjective

1. describes work or a working arrangement where a person takes on projects from va

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

describes work or a working arrangement where a person takes on projects from various clients or companies for limited periods, instead of being a permanent employee of a single organization.

Example

After three years at the newspaper, Wren became a freelance journalist covering local politics.

attributive: freelance + [job role]

The design agency hires freelance illustrators when its full-time team is overloaded.

Common collocations
  • freelance work
  • freelance job
  • freelance writer
  • freelance designer
  • freelance photographer
  • freelance editor
Synonyms
  • self-employed

    broader — includes business owners who are not necessarily project-based

  • independent

    softer, less formal; can describe any non-employee arrangement

Antonyms
  • permanent

    describes a job with an ongoing employment contract

  • full-time

    implies standard working hours for one employer

Grammar Patterns

freelance + noun (job role)

freelance + noun (type of work)

Usage Note

Typically used before a noun that names a profession (freelance designer) or a type of work (freelance projects). Can also function as an adverb: 'She works freelance.'

freelance — noun

freelance — verb

Word family

  • freelancer
    nounB1
  • freelancing
    nounB1
  • freelancing
    adjectiveB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four terms describe people who work outside a traditional employee role. 'Freelancer' is the most general term, used especially in creative fields (writing, design, photography) and tech — it emphasizes project-by-project work with multiple clients. 'Independent contractor' is a more formal, legal term used in contracts and tax contexts; it implies a specific written agreement and often covers trades like construction or delivery services. 'Consultant' suggests expert knowledge in a specialized area (management, IT, finance) and usually commands higher fees with a more advisory relationship. 'Self-employed person' is the broadest category — it includes anyone who works for themselves, from freelancers and contractors to small business owners running a shop or restaurant. In everyday conversation, native speakers often use 'freelancer' when the work involves multiple clients and short-term projects, while 'self-employed' covers any situation where you are your own boss.

freelancerindependent contractorconsultant ↗self-employed person

Common collocations

Nouns

  • freelance work
  • freelance job
  • freelance writer
  • freelance designer
  • freelance photographer
  • freelance editor
  • freelance journalist
  • freelance developer

Phrases

  • go freelance
  • work freelance
  • take on freelance work
  • hire a freelancer
  • freelance from home

Prepositions

  • as a freelancer
  • freelance for [company]
  • freelance as [role]
  • work freelance on [project]

Etymology

Old FrenchEnglish

Originally a medieval military term — a 'free lance' was a knight who fought for any lord willing to pay him, not bound by loyalty to a single master. The word first appeared in print in Sir Walter Scott's novel 'Ivanhoe' (1820). By the late 1800s it had shifted to describe journalists and artists who sold their work to multiple publications rather than being on one newspaper's staff. The modern sense covering all project-based, self-employed work became widespread in the late 20th century.