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
Garrison KeillorBut 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
Bruce Schoenfeld2
: 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
G. W. BowersockExamples of freelancer in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Below, members of Forbes Business Council offer tips to help solopreneurs and freelancers effectively deal with slow-paying and non-paying clients.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
Eligibility and details Applicants should have extensive journalism experience as a student, freelancer and/or intern in a professional newsroom, and a portfolio of their work to share.
—Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 10 July 2025
Many of the women who spoke to the BBC are young female freelancers and didn’t feel able to complain about Wallace’s behavior at the time for fear of negative career repercussions.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 9 July 2025
Karie Angell Luc is a freelancer for Pioneer Press.
—Karie Angell Luc, Chicago Tribune, 7 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for freelancer
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Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
Eligibility and details Applicants should have extensive journalism experience as a student, freelancer and/or intern in a professional newsroom, and a portfolio of their work to share.
—Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 10 July 2025
Many of the women who spoke to the BBC are young female freelancers and didn’t feel able to complain about Wallace’s behavior at the time for fear of negative career repercussions.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 9 July 2025
Karie Angell Luc is a freelancer for Pioneer Press.
—Karie Angell Luc, Chicago Tribune, 7 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for freelancer
Cite this Entry
“Freelancer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/freelancer. Accessed 20 Jul. 2025.
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