[ 'fri:lα:ns ]
■ adjective self-employed and hired to work for different companies on particular assignments.
■ adverb earning one's living as a ~.
■ noun
1》 a ~ worker.
2》 historical a mercenary in medieval Europe.
■ verb earn one's living as a ~.
Derivatives
~r noun
Origin
C19 (orig. denoting a mercenary): from free + lance .