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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Most of the 12,000 private attorneys in the U.S. picking up these cases are typically self-employed, or work for a small law firm. Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 24 July 2025 Texas also reached a new high for the greatest number of people working, including the self-employed, of 15,210,500. Bethany Blankley, The Washington Examiner, 20 July 2025 Kenny, who is now self-employed as a caterer, recalled his experience a few years earlier. Helena Addison, The Conversation, 18 July 2025 Businesses would pay the tax (including self-employed), but regular employees would face no direct taxes at all. Nathan Lewis, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for self-employed

Word History

First Known Use

1916, in the meaning defined above

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Self-employed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-employed. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

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

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