freelance

See also: free-lance

English

Alternative forms

• free-lance, free lance

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.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈfɹiːlɑːns/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈfɹiˌlæns/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iːlɑːns
• Hyphenation: free‧lance

Noun

freelance (plural freelances)

2. Someone who sells their services to clients without a long-term employment contract.
   • 1925 July – 1926 May, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “Where Our Commissioners Have a Remarkable Experience”, in The Land of Mist, New York, N.Y.: A[lbert] L[evi] Burt Company, published 1926, →OCLC, page 78:

     The objector, one Millworthy, a free-lance of journalism, was not to be so easily silenced.

   • 2014, Brian Mossop, Revising and Editing for Translators, page 192:

     The person you are revising (the revisee) is a colleague at your own rank, or another freelance.

4. (historical) A medieval mercenary.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:mercenary

   • 1819 December 20 (indicated as 1820), Walter Scott, chapter IV, in Ivanhoe; a Romance. […], volume III, Edinburgh: […] Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co. […], →OCLC, pages 98–100:

     I—I offered Richard the service of my Free Lances, and he refused them—I will lead them to Hull, seize on shipping, and embark for Flanders; […] Trust me, Estoteville alone has strength enough to drive all thy Free Lances into the Humber.

Descendants

Descendants

• → Catalan: freelance
• → Finnish: freelance
• → French: freelance
• → Japanese: フリーランス (furīransu)
• → Portuguese: frila(br) freelance(pt)
• → Spanish: freelance
• → Swedish: frilans
• → Turkish: freelance

Translations

someone who sells their services to clients without a long-term employment contract

• Estonian: vabakutseline
• Finnish: freelancer (fi)
• French: pigiste (fr), freelance (fr)
• German: freier Mitarbeiter m
• Greek: ελεύθερος επαγγελματίας (el) m (eléftheros epangelmatías)
• Indonesian: pekerja bebas, pekerja lepas, tenaga lepas
• Italian: libero professionista, freelance (it)
• Persian: کارمزدی (kârmozdi)
• Russian: фрилансер (ru) (frilanser)
• Spanish: trabajador autónomo m, freelance m or f (frílans)
• Swedish: frilans (sv) c
• Ukrainian: фрілансер (frilanser)

medieval mercenary

• French: mercenaire (fr)
• Indonesian: prajurit upahan (literally “payed soldier”)
• Italian: mercenario (it) m

Adjective

freelance (comparative more freelance, superlative most freelance)

1. Of or relating to a freelance; without a long-term employment contract.

   He was a freelance writer for several magazines.

   • 2007 October 30, Terry Cettina, “How to even the score on housework, kid duty”, in CNN‎^[1]:

     Both work -- Jenny as a freelance writer from home, Marc full-time-plus as a civil engineer with a long commute. Jenny also takes care of their four sons, ages 20 months to 9 years, and homeschools the two oldest.

Translations

of or relating to a freelance

• Catalan: freelance (ca), autònom (ca)
• Estonian: vabakutseline
• Finnish: freelance- (fi), vapaa (fi)
• French: à la pige, indépendant (fr)
• German: freiberuflich (de)
• Indonesian: kerja lepas (id), tenaga lepas (id)
• Irish: neamhspleách
• Spanish: freelance (frílans), autónomo (es), independiente (es), por libre, por cuenta propia
• Swedish: frilansande (sv)
• Thai: อิสระ (th) (ìt-sà-rà)
• Turkish: freelance-, ^{(please verify)} Açık İş

Verb

freelance (third-person singular simple present freelances, present participle freelancing, simple past and past participle freelanced)

1. (intransitive) To work as a freelance.
2. (transitive) To produce or sell services as a freelance.

Derived terms

• freelancer

Translations

intransitive: to work as a freelance

• Finnish: työskennellä freelancerina
• Greek: ελεύθερος επιχειρηματίας m (eléftheros epicheirimatías), αυτοαπασχολούμενος (el) m (aftoapascholoúmenos)
• Russian: фрила́нсить (ru) impf (frilánsitʹ)
• Spanish: trabajar por cuenta propia, trabajar por libre (Spain), laburar autónomamente, chambear independientemente
• Swedish: frilansa (sv)

transitive: to produce or sell services as a freelance

• Finnish: tehdä freelancerina

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Japanese: ^{(please verify)} フリーランス (ja) (furīransu)
• Norwegian: ^{(please verify)} frilans

Finnish

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English freelance.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfriːlɑns/, [ˈfriːlɑ̝ns̠]
• Rhymes: -iːlɑns

Noun

freelance

1. (as modifier) freelance

   freelancetoimittaja ― freelance journalist

2. (rare) synonym of freelancer (“freelancer”)

Declension

Inflection of freelance (Kotus type 8/nalle, no gradation)
nominative		freelance	freelancet
genitive		freelancen	freelancejen
partitive		freelancea	freelanceja
illative		freelanceen	freelanceihin
		singular	plural
nominative		freelance	freelancet
accusative	nom.	freelance	freelancet
	gen.	freelancen
genitive		freelancen	freelancejen freelancein rare
partitive		freelancea	freelanceja
inessive		freelancessa	freelanceissa
elative		freelancesta	freelanceista
illative		freelanceen	freelanceihin
adessive		freelancella	freelanceilla
ablative		freelancelta	freelanceilta
allative		freelancelle	freelanceille
essive		freelancena	freelanceina
translative		freelanceksi	freelanceiksi
abessive		freelancetta	freelanceitta
instructive		—	freelancein
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of freelance (Kotus type 8/nalle, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative freelanceni freelanceni accusative nom. freelanceni freelanceni gen. freelanceni genitive freelanceni freelancejeni freelanceini rare partitive freelanceani freelancejani inessive freelancessani freelanceissani elative freelancestani freelanceistani illative freelanceeni freelanceihini adessive freelancellani freelanceillani ablative freelanceltani freelanceiltani allative freelancelleni freelanceilleni essive freelancenani freelanceinani translative freelancekseni freelanceikseni abessive freelancettani freelanceittani instructive — — comitative — freelanceineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative freelancesi freelancesi accusative nom. freelancesi freelancesi gen. freelancesi genitive freelancesi freelancejesi freelanceisi rare partitive freelanceasi freelancejasi inessive freelancessasi freelanceissasi elative freelancestasi freelanceistasi illative freelanceesi freelanceihisi adessive freelancellasi freelanceillasi ablative freelanceltasi freelanceiltasi allative freelancellesi freelanceillesi essive freelancenasi freelanceinasi translative freelanceksesi freelanceiksesi abessive freelancettasi freelanceittasi instructive — — comitative — freelanceinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative freelancemme freelancemme accusative nom. freelancemme freelancemme gen. freelancemme genitive freelancemme freelancejemme freelanceimme rare partitive freelanceamme freelancejamme inessive freelancessamme freelanceissamme elative freelancestamme freelanceistamme illative freelanceemme freelanceihimme adessive freelancellamme freelanceillamme ablative freelanceltamme freelanceiltamme allative freelancellemme freelanceillemme essive freelancenamme freelanceinamme translative freelanceksemme freelanceiksemme abessive freelancettamme freelanceittamme instructive — — comitative — freelanceinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative freelancenne freelancenne accusative nom. freelancenne freelancenne gen. freelancenne genitive freelancenne freelancejenne freelanceinne rare partitive freelanceanne freelancejanne inessive freelancessanne freelanceissanne elative freelancestanne freelanceistanne illative freelanceenne freelanceihinne adessive freelancellanne freelanceillanne ablative freelanceltanne freelanceiltanne allative freelancellenne freelanceillenne essive freelancenanne freelanceinanne translative freelanceksenne freelanceiksenne abessive freelancettanne freelanceittanne instructive — — comitative — freelanceinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative freelancensa freelancensa accusative nom. freelancensa freelancensa gen. freelancensa genitive freelancensa freelancejensa freelanceinsa rare partitive freelanceaan freelanceansa freelancejaan freelancejansa inessive freelancessaan freelancessansa freelanceissaan freelanceissansa elative freelancestaan freelancestansa freelanceistaan freelanceistansa illative freelanceensa freelanceihinsa adessive freelancellaan freelancellansa freelanceillaan freelanceillansa ablative freelanceltaan freelanceltansa freelanceiltaan freelanceiltansa allative freelancelleen freelancellensa freelanceilleen freelanceillensa essive freelancenaan freelancenansa freelanceinaan freelanceinansa translative freelancekseen freelanceksensa freelanceikseen freelanceiksensa abessive freelancettaan freelancettansa freelanceittaan freelanceittansa instructive — — comitative — freelanceineen freelanceinensa

Derived terms

compounds

• freelancenäyttelijä
• freelancetoimittaja
• freelancetyö
• freelancetyöntekijä

Further reading

• “freelance”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[2] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2 July 2023

French

Alternative forms

• free-lance

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fʁi.lɑ̃s/

• Audio (France (Lyon)):

  (file)

Adjective

freelance (plural freelances)

1. freelance

Noun

freelance m or f by sense (plural freelances)

1. freelancer (someone who freelances)

Portuguese

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English freelance.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /fɾiˈlɐ̃.si/, /fɾiˈlɐ̃s/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /fɾiˈlɐ̃.si/, /fɾiˈlɐ̃s/
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /fɾiˈlɐ̃.si/, /fɾiˈlɐ̃ʃ/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /fɾiˈlɐ̃s/, /fɾiˈlɐ̃.si/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /fɾiˈlɐ̃ʃ/

• Rhymes: -ɐ̃si, -ilɐ̃ʃ
• Hyphenation: free‧lan‧ce

Adjective

freelance (invariable)

1. freelance

   Synonym: autónomo

Noun

freelance m (plural freelances)

1. a freelance service

Noun

freelance m or f by sense (plural freelances)

1. synonym of freelancer

Related terms

• freela
• freelancer

Further reading

• “freelance”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “freelance”, in Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisboa: Academia das Ciências de Lisboa, 2001–2026
• “freelance”, in Dicionário infopédia da Lingua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2026
• “freelance”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026
• “freelance”, in Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), São Paulo: Editora Melhoramentos, 2015–2026, →ISBN

Spanish

Adjective

freelance (invariable)

1. freelance

Noun

freelance m (plural freelances)

1. freelancer (someone who freelances)

Further reading

• free lance | Definición | Diccionario de la lengua española | RAE - ASALE
• free lance | Diccionario panhispánico de dudas | RAE - ASALE
• freelance/freelancer | FundéuRAE