independent contractor

American

[in-di-pen-duhnt kon-trak-ter] / ˈɪn dɪˌpɛn dənt ˈkɒn træk tər /

noun

a self-employed skilled worker hired to do a piece of work under a contract that allows them to control how the work is carried out.

Many of us work part-time or, like me, are independent contractors doing freelance work for various companies and individuals.

Etymology

Origin of independent contractor

First recorded in 1855–60

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

An $8.5 million decision challenges the company’s longstanding “independent contractor” model.

From Slate

"Regarding the status of drivers, recent rulings by the Court of Cassation have confirmed their independent contractor status and thus clarified the framework within which we operate," an Uber spokesperson told AFP, referring to two rulings issued in July 2025 by an appeals court, which refused to reclassify drivers as Uber employees.

From Barron's

Never mind that the initiative protected Uber’s business model, which involves sticking its “independent contractor” drivers with the cost of fuel, insurance and wear and tear on their vehicles.

From Los Angeles Times

If he’s done anything about independent contractor abuse while serving in the Senate, I don’t know about it.

From Salon

Blumenthal had been the state’s attorney general for years, and during the Senate race his office launched an investigation of WWE’s abuse of independent contractor categories, a tactic that both blocks full benefits for employees and robs government coffers at all levels of payroll taxes.

From Salon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023