Freelancer

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈfɹiː.lɑːn.sə/

Definitions

1. A person who independently provides services or expertise to multiple clients while avoiding traditional employment arrangements
2. An individual who engages in project-based work for various companies without being tied to a single employer
3. A professional who offers specialized skills on a contract basis to different clients instead of committing to full-time positions

Etymology: Sir Walter Scott gave the word "freelance" its modern sense in 1820, in "Ivanhoe", where he described medieval knights who sold their swords to whichever lord would pay. The original "freelance" was the lance, a free lance, belonging to no lord's army. The lance itself traces back to Latin "lancea", a Roman spear, which passed through Old French "lance" into Middle English as "launce". The word "free" in "freelance" is the ordinary English word, inherited from Old English "frēo" and ultimately from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to love" or "dear", reflecting the idea of belonging to one's own kin rather than to a master. In the nineteenth century the knightly image faded, and the compound became a general term for someone working independently. The ending "-er" is the common English agent suffix, which came into English from Old French "-ier", itself from Latin "-ārius". So "freelancer" simply adds the familiar suffix to "freelance", turning the activity into the person who does it.

Synonyms: independent contractor, self-employed, consultant, contract worker, gig worker

Antonyms: employee, staff, worker, permanent employee, full-time employee