independent

adjective

in·de·pen·dent | \ ˌin-də-ˈpen-dənt

Definition of independent

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : not dependent: such as

a(1) : not subject to control by others : self-governing

(2) : not affiliated with a larger controlling unit an independent bookstore

b(1) : not requiring or relying on something else : not contingent an independent conclusion

(2) : not looking to others for one's opinions or for guidance in conduct

(3) : not bound by or committed to a political party

c(1) : not requiring or relying on others (as for care or livelihood) independent of her parents

(2) : being enough to free one from the necessity of working for a living a person of independent means

d : showing a desire for freedom an independent manner

e(1) : not determined by or capable of being deduced or derived from or expressed in terms of members (such as axioms or equations) of the set under consideration especially : having linear independence an independent set of vectors

(2) : having the property that the joint probability (as of events or samples) or the joint probability density function (as of random variables) equals the product of the probabilities or probability density functions of separate occurrence

2 capitalized : of or relating to the Independents

3a : main sense 5 an independent clause

b : neither deducible from nor incompatible with another statement independent postulates

independent

noun

Definition of independent (Entry 2 of 2)

1 capitalized : a sectarian of an English religious movement for congregational autonomy originating in the late 16th century, giving rise to Congregationalists, Baptists, and Friends, and forming one of the major political groupings of the period of Cromwell

2 : one that is independent especially, often capitalized : one that is not bound by or definitively committed to a political party

Other Words from independent Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about independent

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Choose the Right Synonym for independent

Adjective

free, independent, sovereign, autonomous mean not subject to the rule or control of another. free stresses the complete absence of external rule and the full right to make all of one's own decisions. you're free to do as you like independent implies a standing alone; applied to a state it implies lack of connection with any other having power to interfere with its citizens, laws, or policies. the colony's struggle to become independent sovereign stresses the absence of a superior power and implies supremacy within a thing's own domain or sphere. separate and sovereign armed services autonomous stresses independence in matters pertaining to self-government. in this denomination each congregation is regarded as autonomous

Examples of independent in a Sentence

Adjective

The country recently became independent. They have a good deal of independent authority. She has an independent income. Another laboratory has provided independent confirmation of the test results. She is a very independent person. She has an independent mind. They lead an independent life.

Noun

She registered to vote as an Independent.

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Germany is calling on Russia to release the protesters detained during a rally for independent and opposition candidates in Moscow. — Washington Post, "Germany urges Russia to swiftly release Moscow protesters," 4 Aug. 2019 More than 600 people were detained for participating in an unsanctioned rally in downtown Moscow, which opposition leaders had called to demand the inclusion of independent candidates in next month’s city council elections. — Los Angeles Times, "Russian political crisis grows with more arrests in Moscow," 3 Aug. 2019 More than 1,000 people were arrested at a demonstration in Moscow demanding that independent candidates be allowed to stand in a citywide election. — The Economist, "Politics this week," 1 Aug. 2019 On January 1, 1804, Jean-Jacques Dessalines proclaimed the island of Saint-Domingue free and independent from French rule after a successful revolution. — Danielle Pointdujour, Essence, "Ayiti Chérie! 37 Times Travelers Showed Haiti Nothing But Love," 31 July 2019 Opposition activists as well as ordinary Muscovites took to the street to vent their anger over officials' decision to exclude a dozen independent candidates from the ballot for the upcoming vote for the Moscow city legislature. — Fox News, "Russian opposition leader may have been poisoned, doctor says," 30 July 2019 Nonetheless, several dozen independent candidates hustled, managing to collect the signatures. — The Washington Post, Twin Cities, "Other voices: What does Putin fear?," 25 July 2019 As the party's 2006 nominee for governor, Bell lost to incumbent Rick Perry, now energy secretary, in a race that included independent candidates Carole Keeton Strayhorn and Kinky Friedman. — Todd J. Gillman, Dallas News, "Cornyn draws another challenger as Houston councilwoman Amanda Edwards joins Dems' Senate race," 18 July 2019 What does matter is that Perot, against odds almost unfathomable now, qualified on ballots in all 50 states as an independent candidate. — Major Garrett, CBS News, "Analysis: What's missing from the Ross Perot obituaries," 11 July 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Only 18% of Democrats, 14% of independents and 22% of Republicans approved of the job Congress was doing. — Phil Matier, SFChronicle.com, "All that noise coming from Washington turning Calif. voters numb," 4 Aug. 2019 Roughly a quarter of the state’s independents live in Los Angeles County, which was generally competitive in statewide elections through the ’90s. — James P. Sutton, National Review, "Why the GOP Has Declined in California," 1 Aug. 2019 There is a reason that Bernie Sanders, an independent, is running for the Democratic presidential nomination, instead of pursuing a third-party bid. — Lucy Steigerwald, The New Republic, "Justin Amash and the Libertarian Future," 29 July 2019 He's been embroiled in an ongoing power struggle with Smitherman, an independent. — Jason Williams, Cincinnati.com, "PX column: Why P.G. Sittenfeld's donors don't care about text messages and petty squabbles at City Hall," 29 July 2019 The July 4 results that so amplified the tension came from another project called H0 Lenses in COSMOGRAIL’s Wellspring (H0LiCOW) which sought to achieve a late-universe result, independent of SH0ES, using a technique called gravitational lensing. — Leila Sloman, Scientific American, "Hubble Tension Headache: Clashing Measurements Make the Universe's Expansion a Lingering Mystery," 29 July 2019 Or will President Donald Trump rouse independents and use the power of incumbency to head into the homestretch as the favorite? — oregonlive.com, "Donald Trump’s state-by-state popularity shows 2020 Electoral College wipeout, but president has path to victory," 25 July 2019 Key is keeping the inspector general independent from the county commission and other parts of government that would be investigated. — Laura Hancock, cleveland.com, "Ohio House bill would let counties have inspectors general, like Cuyahoga County," 19 July 2019 Republican consultant Matthew Langston said Democrats excelled last year because of energy from anti-Trump voters, base Democrats, some independents and some soft Republicans dissatisfied with Cruz. — Gromer Jeffers Jr., Dallas News, "As Democrats prepare for Senate primary rumble, incumbent John Cornyn building organization, raising cash," 19 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'independent.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.