← Back to Fala2Me

self-employed

[/ˌself.ɪmˈplɔɪd/]
adjective
autônomo/a
1. Working for oneself rather than for an employer; earning income directly from one's own business or profession
She decided to become self-employed as a freelance consultant.
Ela decidiu se tornar autônoma como consultora freelancer.
2. Operating one's own business without being employed by a company or organization
Self-employed individuals must manage their own taxes and benefits.
Pessoas autônomas precisam gerenciar seus próprios impostos e benefícios.
NYC Slang
hustle/side hustle (colloquial modern usage referring to self-employment venture)
Synonyms
freelanceindependentself-reliantentrepreneurial
Antonyms
employedsalariedwage-earning

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
autônomo/autônoma
Most common usage; encompasses informal and formal self-employed workers
Rio de Janeiro
autônomo/profissional independente
Often interchangeable; professional independent used for higher-income professionals
São Paulo
profissional autônomo/microempresário
Microempresário used when referring to registered small business owners
Portugal
trabalhador independente/profissional liberal
Trabalhador independente is standard; profissional liberal for regulated professions

Related Idioms & Phrases

be one's own boss
work for oneself
run one's own show
trabalhar por conta própria
ser patrão de si mesmo
Look up more words on Fala2Me
The free English-Portuguese dictionary with real Brazilian accents, NYC slang, conjugator and more
Open Fala2Me →