independent

[ in-di-pen-duhnt ]

/ ˌɪn dɪˈpɛn dənt /

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See synonyms for: independent / independents / independently on Thesaurus.com

adjective

not influenced or controlled by others in matters of opinion, conduct, etc.; thinking or acting for oneself: an independent thinker.

not subject to another's authority or jurisdiction; autonomous; free: an independent businessman.

not influenced by the thought or action of others: independent research.

not dependent; not depending or contingent upon something else for existence, operation, etc.

not relying on another or others for aid or support.

rejecting others' aid or support; refusing to be under obligation to others.

possessing a competency: to be financially independent.

sufficient to support a person without their having to work: an independent income.

executed or originating outside a given unit, agency, business, etc.; external: an independent inquiry.

working for oneself or for a small, privately owned business.

expressive of a spirit of independence; self-confident; unconstrained: a free and independent citizen.

free from party commitments in voting: the independent voter.

Mathematics. (of a quantity or function) not depending upon another for its value.

Grammar. capable of standing syntactically as a complete sentence: an independent clause.Compare dependent (def. 4), main¹ (def. 4).

Logic.

(of a set of propositions) having no one proposition deducible from the others.
(of a proposition) belonging to such a set.

Statistics. statistically independent.

(initial capital letter)Ecclesiastical. adhering or relating to Independency.

noun

an independent person or thing.

a small, privately owned business: The conglomerates are buying up the independents.

Politics. a person who votes for candidates, measures, etc., in accordance with their own judgment and without regard to the endorsement of, or the positions taken by, any party.

(initial capital letter)Ecclesiastical. an adherent of Independency.

British. a Congregationalist.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about independent

independent of, irrespective of; regardless of: Independent of monetary considerations, it was a promising position.

Origin of independent

First recorded in 1605–15; in-³ + dependent

OTHER WORDS FROM independent

in·de·pend·ent·ly, adverbnon·in·de·pend·ent, adjectivenon·in·de·pend·ent·ly, adverbpre·in·de·pend·ent, adjective

pre·in·de·pend·ent·ly, adverbpseu·do·in·de·pend·ent, adjectivepseu·do·in·de·pend·ent·ly, adverbqua·si-in·de·pend·ent, adjectivequa·si-in·de·pend·ent·ly, adverbsu·per·in·de·pend·ent, adjectivesu·per·in·de·pend·ent·ly, adverb

Words nearby independent

independence, Independence Day, Independence Hall, independence of path, independency, independent, independent assortment, independent audit, independent axiom, independent clause, independent contractor

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use independent in a sentence

You can take a home-office deduction only if you’re self-employed, an independent contractor or a gig worker.
Tax season 2021: A tornado is coming|Michelle Singletary|February 12, 2021|Washington Post
On top of that, independent chefs have used the format to launch pop-ups from within their own restaurants.
Welcome to Flavortown, Population: Us|Jaya Saxena|February 11, 2021|Eater
Using Google Lens, she scanned one of the spoons, and within seconds, she received dozens of results from places such as eBay, big-box stores and independent resellers.
Replacing pieces of flatware or china can be a challenge. Here’s how to track them down.|Laura Daily|February 11, 2021|Washington Post
I’m looking for an independent, easy-going, family-oriented, trustworthy, fun-loving man who is looking for someone to complement his life.
Meet D.C.’s Most Eligible LGBTQ Singles|Staff reports|February 11, 2021|Washington Blade

Among registered voters, the Berkeley IGS survey found only 11 percent of registered Democrats and 32 percent of independents would vote to recall Newsom.
California’s Gavin Newsom Will Likely Face A Recall Election — But He’ll Probably Survive It|Geoffrey Skelley (geoffrey.skelley@abc.com)|February 10, 2021|FiveThirtyEight
The Independent, quoted the duo as saying “we have some offers but we cannot say anything at the moment.”
Juiciest ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Rumors (and Some Debunked Ones)|Rich Goldstein|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The issue polls well among Democratic, Republican, and independent voters.
Christie Blames Parents for Bad Economy|Monica Potts|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
For the last nine years, they have battled secular Baluch nationalists who would like to see an independent Baluchistan.
The Dangerous Drug-Funded Secret War Between Iran and Pakistan|Umar Farooq|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I am reminded of the story of Senator Bernie Sanders (Independent, VT) walking along the shores of Lake Champlain.
Santa Fails One More Time|P. J. O’Rourke|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This is a job for independent committees, like Bowles-Simpson, not a partisan slugfest.
Red Tape Is Strangling Good Samaritans|Philip K. Howard|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
So far Murat had always held subordinate commands; his great ambition was to become the commander-in-chief of an independent army.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
In a strict sense, of course, no child's drawing is absolutely spontaneous and independent of external stimulus and guidance.
Children's Ways|James Sully
Many persons impede their execution by not keeping the thumb independent enough of the rest of the hand.
Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay
While the majority pulled in one way there was an active minority that wished the Nana to set up an independent kingdom.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy
Divine Providence is about to place independence within our reach, in a manner most acceptable to a free and independent people.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman

British Dictionary definitions for independent (1 of 2)

independent

/ (ˌɪndɪˈpɛndənt) /

adjective

free from control in action, judgment, etc; autonomous

not dependent on anything else for function, validity, etc; separatetwo independent units make up this sofa

not reliant on the support, esp financial support, of others

capable of acting for oneself or on one's owna very independent little girl

providing a large unearned sum towards one's support (esp in the phrases independent income, independent means)

living on an unearned income

maths (of a system of equations) not linearly dependentSee also independent variable

statistics

(of two or more variables) distributed so that the value taken by one variable will have no effect on that taken by another or others
(of two or more events) such that the probability of all occurring equals the product of their individual probabilitiesCompare statistical dependence

logic (of a set of propositions)

not validly derivable from one another, so that if the propositions are the axioms of some theory none can be dispensed with
not logically related, so that in no case can the truth value of one be inferred from those of the others

noun

an independent person or thing

a person who is not affiliated to or who acts independently of a political party

Derived forms of independent

independently, adverb

British Dictionary definitions for independent (2 of 2)

Independent

/ (ˌɪndɪˈpɛndənt) /

noun

(in England) a member of the Congregational Church

adjective

of or relating to Independency

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

independent

Idioms about independent

Origin of independent

OTHER WORDS FROM independent

Words nearby independent

Words related to independent

How to use independent in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for independent (1 of 2)

Derived forms of independent

British Dictionary definitions for independent (2 of 2)