independently

UK: /ˌɪndɪˈpɛndəntli/

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

in•de•pend•ent /ˌɪndɪˈpɛndənt/   adj. 

1. not ruled by another country;
   self-governing:
   That country is independent.
2. not influenced or controlled by others:
   an independent inquiry.
3. not depending or contingent upon something else:
   Those budget changes are independent of anything the financial division might put forward.
4. not relying on another for aid or support.
5. refusing to be under obligation to others.
6. sufficient to support one without the need to work:
   [before a noun] an independent income.
7. Government not belonging to a political party:
   independent voters.
8. Grammar capable of standing as a complete sentence:
   an independent clause.
   Compare dependent (def. 3),main (def. 2).

n. [countable]

9. an independent person or thing.
10. Business a small, privately owned business:
    The independents were in an economic war with the multinational oil companies.
11. Government [sometimes: Independent] a person who does not belong to a particular political party.

Idioms

12. Idioms independent of, [be + ~] irrespective of;
    regardless of:
    That finding was independent of anyone else's study.

in•de•pend•ent•ly, adv.  : 

worked independently.

See -pend-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

in•de•pend•ent  (in′di pen′dənt), adj. 

1. not influenced or controlled by others in matters of opinion, conduct, etc.;
   thinking or acting for oneself:
   an independent thinker.
2. not subject to another's authority or jurisdiction;
   autonomous;
   free:
   an independent businessman.
3. not influenced by the thought or action of others:
   independent research.
4. not dependent;
   not depending or contingent upon something else for existence, operation, etc.
5. not relying on another or others for aid or support.
6. rejecting others' aid or support;
   refusing to be under obligation to others.
7. possessing a competency:
   to be financially independent.
8. sufficient to support a person without his having to work:
   an independent income.
9. executed or originating outside a given unit, agency, business, etc.;
   external:
   an independent inquiry.
10. Business working for oneself or for a small, privately owned business.
11. expressive of a spirit of independence;
    self-confident;
    unconstrained:
    a free and independent citizen.
12. Government free from party commitments in voting:
    the independent voter.
13. Mathematics (of a quantity or function) not depending upon another for its value.
14. Grammar capable of standing syntactically as a complete sentence:
    an independent clause.
    Cf. dependent (def. 4), main ¹ (def. 4).
15. Philosophy [Logic.]
    • (of a set of propositions) having no one proposition deducible from the others.
    • (of a proposition) belonging to such a set.
16. Statistics See statistically independent. 
17. Religion (cap.) [Eccles.] of or pertaining to the Independents.
18. Idioms independent of, irrespective of;
    regardless of:
    Independent of monetary considerations, it was a promising position.

n. 

19. an independent person or thing.
20. Business a small, privately owned business:
    The conglomerates are buying up the independents.
21. Government [Politics.] a person who votes for candidates, measures, etc., in accordance with his or her own judgment and without regard to the endorsement of, or the positions taken by, any party.
22. Religion, British Terms (cap.) [Eccles.] an adherent of Independency.
23. Religion [Brit.] a Congregationalist.

• in-³ + dependent 1605–15

in′de•pend′ent•ly, adv.