freelance

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun a writer or artist who sells services to different employers without a long-term contract with any of them
  2. verb work independently and on temporary contracts rather than for a long-term employer
  3. adjective working for yourself

Etymology

From free + lance. Coined by Walter Scott (1771–1832) in Ivanhoe (1819; see quotation) to describe a medieval mercenary warrior or "free-lance" (indicating that the lance is not sworn to any lord's services). It changed to a figurative noun around the 1860s and was recognized as a verb in 1903 by authorities such as the Oxford English Dictionary. In modern times the term has morphed into an adjective, a verb, and an adverb, as well as the derivative noun freelancer.

In classic literature

Synonyms

freelancer, free-lance, free lance, independent, self-employed person

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