English · Work & Business
freelance
/ˈfriː.lɑːns/
[/ˈfriː.lɑːns/]
self-employed, project-based
Intermediateadjective
Definition
Working for different companies on separate projects rather than being employed by just one.
Example
As a freelance designer, she chooses her own projects and works for several clients at once.
As a freelance designer, she chooses her own projects and works for several clients at once.
Etymology
Coined by Walter Scott in 'Ivanhoe' (1820) for a 'free lance', a medieval mercenary soldier.
How & Where It’s Used
Used as adjective, adverb, noun, and verb in the modern world of work.
Literary Heritage
Walter Scott coined 'free lance' in his 1820 novel Ivanhoe to describe a mercenary knight.