freelance
FREE-lahns
/ˈfriːlɑːns/
Working for different companies at different times rather than being permanently employed by a single employer.
Refers specifically to self-employed individuals selling services task-by-task or project-by-project.
The story behind the word. Sir Walter Scott coined 'free-lance' in his 1819 historical novel Ivanhoe to describe a medieval mercenary soldier whose lance was not pledged to any specific lord. Over the 19th century, the military meaning shifted to describe independent journalists selling articles to multiple newspapers.
Word relationships
- independent: Broader term that includes any self-reliant entity, whereas freelance specifically implies project-based selling of labor.
- self-employed: Self-employed includes small business owners with physical shops, whereas freelance usually implies professional service provision.
- tenured: Refers to permanent employment with guaranteed job security.
- salaried: Refers to regular income guaranteed by a permanent employment contract.
Commonly confused with
- solopreneur: A freelancer trades time for money per project, while a solopreneur builds scalable business systems.
Word family
- freelancer (noun): A person who works freelance.
- freelancing (noun): The act or practice of working independently.
Collocations
- freelance writer
- freelance contract
- go freelance
- freelance talent
Example sentences
- "After working ten years at an agency, Maria decided to freelance as a graphic designer." Professional Career Choice
- "Many software developers choose to freelance so they can select which projects to work on." Literary Citation
Memory hook
Think of a medieval knight offering his FREE LANCE to whichever noble king pays him for the quest. Free lance = mercenary for hire.
When not to use
Do not use to describe full-time corporate staff or long-term salaried employees.
Fun facts
- The word originally described literal mercenary soldiers holding lances before it applied to writers.
Related words
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