— independently , adv.
/in'di pen"deuhnt/ , 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. 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. free from party commitments in voting: the independent voter.
13. Math. (of a quantity or function) not depending upon another for its value.
14. Gram. capable of standing syntactically as a complete sentence: an independent clause. Cf. dependent (def. 4), main 1 (def. 4).
15. Logic.
a. (of a set of propositions) having no one proposition deducible from the others.
b. (of a proposition) belonging to such a set.
16. Statistics. See statistically independent .
17. ( cap. ) Eccles. of or pertaining to the Independents.
18. independent of , irrespective of; regardless of: Independent of monetary considerations, it was a promising position.
n.
19. an independent person or thing.
20. a small, privately owned business: The conglomerates are buying up the independents.
21. 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. ( cap. ) Eccles. an adherent of Independency.
23. Brit. a Congregationalist.
[ 1605-15; IN- 3 + DEPENDENT ]