1.
freelance, independent
Working independently without being permanently employed by a particular company or organization.
Etymology
From English "free."
Compounds
- フリーランス (freelance)
- フリーライター (freelance writer)
- フリーター (part-time worker without a permanent job — from "free" + German "Arbeiter")
- フリーWi-Fi (free Wi-Fi)
- フリーダイヤル (toll-free number)
- バリアフリー (barrier-free, accessible)
- ストレスフリー (stress-free)
Watch out
On its own, フリー is rarely used to mean "free of charge" — the everyday words for that are 無料 and ただ. In some compounds, however, it does mean "no charge": フリーWi-Fi, フリーダイヤル, フリードリンク (free drinks).