self-employed

adjective

self-em·​ployed ˌself-im-ˈplȯid How to pronounce self-employed (audio)
: earning income directly from one's own business, trade, or profession rather than as a specified salary or wages from an employer
self-employed noun

Examples of self-employed in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Shu added that France had also recognized the platform’s riders as being self-employed rather than entitled to employee benefits. Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 14 Mar. 2024 That means an additional £450 ($572) a year for the average employee or £350 for someone who is self-employed. Krystal Hur, CNN, 7 Mar. 2024 Eligible applicants must be self-employed or a full-time remote employee outside Colbert and Lauderdale counties, make $52,000 or more annually, and relocate to the Shoals area within six months of being selected. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 6 Mar. 2024 For this year, Direct File excludes some groups of taxpayers, including the self-employed and those with wages of more than $200,000 a year. Julie Zauzmer Weil, Washington Post, 4 Mar. 2024 QuickBooks Self-Employed QuickBooks has a special feature for those who are not large business entities but may be self-employed as contractors or freelancers, called QuickBooks Self-Employed. Rachel Wells, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 Independent contractors are considered self-employed. USA TODAY, 18 Jan. 2024 Burch Mixon is now self-employed as a garden designer, working with residential clients. Charlotte Observer, 1 Feb. 2024 In another change, disaster survivors who are self-employed and whose tools are lost or damaged would be able to get money to replace that equipment. Christopher Flavelle, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'self-employed.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1916, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of self-employed was in 1916

Dictionary Entries Near self-employed

Cite this Entry

“Self-employed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-employed. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

self-employed

adjective
self-em·​ployed
ˌsel-fim-ˈplȯid
: earning income from one's own business or profession rather than salary or wages from an employer

More from Merriam-Webster on self-employed

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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