freelance
noun · adjective · verb
Simple meaning
A writer or artist who sells services to different employers without a long-term contract with any of them.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
freelansSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈfɹilæns
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
A writer or artist who sells services to different employers without a long-term contract with any of them
Someone who sells their services to clients without a long-term employment contract.
adjective
Of or relating to a freelance; without a long-term employment contract.
verb
Work independently and on temporary contracts rather than for a long-term employer
intransitive
To work as a freelance.
transitive
To produce or sell services as a freelance.
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: A writer or artist who sells services to different employers without a long-term contract with any of them
Used this way, freelance is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It turns up most in law or legal contexts.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Where it naturally appears
- Law/legal
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use freelance
- “He decided to work freelance to have more control over his projects.”
Share your sentence
Use This Word
See how this word sounds in a real sentence.
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Use it yourself
Keep learning “freelance” by choosing the kind of practice you need next.
- Practice sentence writingWrite sentences with vocabulary and get instant feedback.
- Practice in contextAnswer short vocabulary questions drawn from real situations.
- Review vocabularyTest your recall and strengthen words over time.
- Practice typingType vocabulary in short rounds that draw from words you've learned and saved.
Want to type words like this one without looking at the keyboard? Each typing round draws from words you've learned, saved or need to review. Follow the free Learn to Type lessons and type your own vocabulary with confidence.
Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.