I. | ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷| ̷ ̷dənt adjective
Etymology: in- (I) + dependent
1. : not dependent: as
a.
(1) : not subject to control by others : not subordinate : self-governing , autonomous , free
an independent nation
was independent of outside control
(2) : not affiliated with or integrated into a larger controlling unit (as a business unit)
an independent retail store
(3) : originating from outside a given unit (as a business unit)
the corporation hired independent auditors to check its books
or made by individuals from outside a given unit
an independent audit
b.
(1) : not requiring or relying on something else (as for existence, operation, efficiency) : not contingent : not conditioned
an independent conclusion
independent action
two effects that are quite independent of each other
(2) : being or acting free of the influence of something else
an independent witness
conducting an independent investigation
(3) : not looking to others for one's opinions or for the guidance of one's conduct : not biased by others : acting or thinking freely or disposed to act or think freely
an independent mind
leading an independent life
an independent journal of opinion
(4) : not bound by or committed definitively to a political party : exercising a totally free political choice
an independent voter
c.
(1) : not requiring or relying on others (as for support, supplies, a livelihood)
was altogether independent of the praise or condemnation of others
an independent source of revenue
the job made him independent of his parents
(2) : not needing to work for a living : having a competence
spent most of his time traveling idly about, having been independent for years
(3) : that is enough to free from the necessity of working for a living : making up a competence
a gentleman of independent means
d.
(1) : refusing to look to others for help : disliking or refusing to accept assistance or to be under obligation to others
too independent to accept charity
(2) : showing a desire for or love of freedom and absence of constraint : marked by impatience with or annoyance at restriction
a bold and independent manner of acting
had an independent air about her
2. usually capitalized : of, relating to, or holding the doctrines of the Independents
an Independent church
3.
a. : main 6
an independent clause
b. : isolative — used of sound change
c. : that is neither derivable from nor incompatible with another statement
an independent proposition in logic
Synonyms: see free
II. noun
1. usually capitalized : an adherent of Independency
2. : one that is independent
free-lance artists and other independents
large corporations and the smaller independents
especially : one that is not bound by or definitively committed to a political party
one third of the voters classify themselves as independents — E.S.Griffith
III. adjective
1. : 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