English Meaning & Definitions
Free from outside control; not subject to another's authority or jurisdiction.
- “The country became fully independent in 1948 after decades of colonial rule.”
- “She preferred to work as an independent contractor rather than join a large corporation.”
Not requiring or relying on something else for support, supply, or effectiveness.
- “Modern smartphones offer users independent access to a vast array of information.”
- “The two scientific studies were conducted by independent research teams.”
A person who is self-reliant, or a voter or politician who does not belong to any political party.
- “Several key independents in the senate will decide the outcome of the vote.”
- “As an independent, he evaluates each candidate on their own merits rather than party lines.”
English Synonyms & Near Equivalents
English Antonyms & Opposites
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “independent”.
Derived from the 17th-century combination of the prefix in- (meaning 'not') and dependent (from Latin dependentem, present participle of dependere 'to hang down from'). Thus, it literally means 'not hanging from' or 'not relying on another for support.'
Think of 'IN-DEPEND-ENT': IN (not) + DEPEND (rely on) + ENT (person/thing) — someone who does not rely on anyone else.
Frequently Asked Questions About “independent”
1. What is the meaning of “independent” in English?
In English, independent (adjective) is defined as: “Free from outside control; not subject to another's authority or jurisdiction.”.
2. How do you use “independent” in a sentence?
“The country became fully independent in 1948 after decades of colonial rule.”
3. What are English synonyms of “independent”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “independent”?
Derived from the 17th-century combination of the prefix in- (meaning 'not') and dependent (from Latin dependentem, present participle of dependere 'to hang down from'). Thus, it literally means 'not hanging from' or 'not relying on another for support.'
🇬🇧More English Words to English
View all English words →The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.
A specific duration of time equivalent to one hour and forty-six minutes.