independent living

American

noun

a living arrangement for disabled people and others with special needs, usually in their own home, affording them as much independence and autonomy as possible.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

While Birmingham City Council said it could not comment on individual cases, it acknowledged the "significant challenges" young care leavers like Klarisse faced when transitioning to independent living.

From BBC • Dec. 12, 2025

Many cases of dementia are preceded by a period of mild cognitive impairment -- characterized by deficits in memory and cognitive skills that do not interfere with independent living, Geldsetzer said.

From Science Daily • Dec. 3, 2025

That worked for my grandmother, who transitioned from independent living to assisted living to a Medicaid bed in the nursing-care unit of her community in the 1990s.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 14, 2025

Vision and hearing services help prevent dementia and increase independent living, possibly by mitigating sensory deprivation, protecting cognitive energy and reducing social isolation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 10, 2025

He would give me a few thousand pounds to enable me to start life there well and make an independent living.

From The Warden of the Plains and Other Stories of Life in the Canadian North-west by Maclean, John

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023