in·de·pen·dent  ( ĭn ′d ĭ-p ĕn d ənt)
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adj.1. Not governed by a foreign power; self-governing. 2. Free from the influence, guidance, or control of another or others; self-reliant: an independent mind. 3. Not determined or influenced by someone or something else; not contingent: a decision independent of the outcome of the study. 4. often Independent Affiliated with or loyal to no one political party or organization. 5. Not dependent on or affiliated with a larger or controlling entity: an independent food store; an independent film. 6. a. Not relying on others for support, care, or funds; self-supporting. b. Providing or being sufficient income to enable one to live without working: a person of independent means. 7. Mathematics a. Not dependent on other variables. b. Of or relating to a system of equations no one of which can be derived from another equation in the system. 8. Independent Of or relating to the 17th-century English Independents. n.1. often Independent One that is independent, especially a voter, officeholder, or political candidate who is not committed to a political party. 2. Independent A member of a movement in England in the 17th century advocating the political and religious independence of individual congregations. 3. Independent Chiefly British A Congregationalist.
in′de·pendent·ly adv. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2019 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices
Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:
Indo-European Roots
Semitic Roots
The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.
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