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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

freelance en · ADJ

Pronunciation

  • /ˈfɹiːlɑːns/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • /ˈfɹiˌlæns/ (General-American)
  • (Southern-England) audio

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.

Meanings

  1. Of or relating to a freelance; without a long-term employment contract.
    • He was a freelance writer for several magazines.
    • 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. 2007 October 30, Terry Cettina, “How to even the score on housework, kid duty”, in CNN:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
free-lance alternative lexicographic
more freelance Degree=Cmp lexicographic
free lance alternative lexicographic
most freelance Degree=Sup lexicographic

Translations (21)

es free-lance (of or relating to a freelance) · ga neamhspleách (of or relating to a freelance) · id tenaga lepas (of or relating to a freelance) · sv frilansande (of or relating to a freelance) · es freelance (of or relating to a freelance) · fi vapaa (of or relating to a freelance) · et vabakutseline (of or relating to a freelance) · es free lancer (of or relating to a freelance) · es por libre (of or relating to a freelance) · id kerja lepas (of or relating to a freelance) · fi freelance- (of or relating to a freelance) · es freelancer (of or relating to a freelance) · tr freelance- (of or relating to a freelance) · es por cuenta propia (of or relating to a freelance) · de freiberuflich (of or relating to a freelance) · es free-lancer (of or relating to a freelance) · th อิสระ (of or relating to a freelance) · fr à la pige (of or relating to a freelance) · fr indépendant (of or relating to a freelance) · ca autònom (of or relating to a freelance) · ca freelance (of or relating to a freelance)

wikipedia: Ivanhoe · wikipedia: Oxford English Dictionary

freelance en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • /ˈfɹiːlɑːns/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • /ˈfɹiˌlæns/ (General-American)
  • (Southern-England) audio

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.

Meanings

  1. Someone who sells their services to clients without a long-term employment contract.
    • The person you are revising (the revisee) is a colleague at your own rank, or another freelance. 2014, Brian Mossop, Revising and Editing for Translators, page 192:
    • The objector, one Millworthy, a free-lance of journalism, was not to be so easily silenced. 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:
  2. (historical) A medieval mercenary.
    • 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. 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:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
free lance alternative lexicographic
free-lance alternative lexicographic
freelances Number=Plur lexicographic

Descendants

freelance · freelance · freelance · フリーランス · frilans · freelance · freelance · frila · freelance

Synonyms

freelance · hireling · free companion · bravo · sellsword · private military contractor · hit man · freebooter · soldier of fortune · merc · hired gun · condottiere · mercenary · filibuster · adventurer

Translations (20)

ru фрилансер (someone who sells their services to clients without a long-term employment contract) · fr mercenaire (medieval mercenary) · it mercenario (medieval mercenary) · it libero professionista (someone who sells their services to clients without a long-term employment contract) · et vabakutseline (someone who sells their services to clients without a long-term employment contract) · it freelance (someone who sells their services to clients without a long-term employment contract) · id tenaga lepas (someone who sells their services to clients without a long-term employment contract) · de freier Mitarbeiter (someone who sells their services to clients without a long-term employment contract) · id pekerja bebas (someone who sells their services to clients without a long-term employment contract) · es freelance (someone who sells their services to clients without a long-term employment contract) · uk фрілансер (someone who sells their services to clients without a long-term employment contract) · es free-lance (someone who sells their services to clients without a long-term employment contract) · fr pigiste (someone who sells their services to clients without a long-term employment contract) · fa کارمزدی (someone who sells their services to clients without a long-term employment contract) · fi freelancer (someone who sells their services to clients without a long-term employment contract) · el ελεύθερος επαγγελματίας (someone who sells their services to clients without a long-term employment contract) · fr freelance (someone who sells their services to clients without a long-term employment contract) · id prajurit upahan (medieval mercenary) · id pekerja lepas (someone who sells their services to clients without a long-term employment contract) · sv frilans (someone who sells their services to clients without a long-term employment contract)

wikipedia: Ivanhoe · wikipedia: Oxford English Dictionary

freelance en · VERB

Pronunciation

  • /ˈfɹiːlɑːns/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • /ˈfɹiˌlæns/ (General-American)
  • (Southern-England) audio

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.

Meanings

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

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
free lance alternative lexicographic
freelances Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
free-lance alternative lexicographic
freelancing Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
freelanced Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
freelanced Tense=Past lexicographic

Deriveds

freelancer

Translations (11)

el ελεύθερος επιχειρηματίας (intransitive: to work as a freelance) · nl zzp'en (intransitive: to work as a freelance) · el αυτοαπασχολούμενος (intransitive: to work as a freelance) · ru фрила́нсить (intransitive: to work as a freelance) · es currelar por libre (intransitive: to work as a freelance) · sv frilansa (intransitive: to work as a freelance) · fi tehdä freelancerina (transitive: to produce or sell services as a freelance) · es chambear como/de freelance/freelancer (intransitive: to work as a freelance) · fi työskennellä freelancerina (intransitive: to work as a freelance) · es trabajar por cuenta propia (intransitive: to work as a freelance) · nl freelancen (intransitive: to work as a freelance)

wikipedia: Ivanhoe · wikipedia: Oxford English Dictionary