Standard Lemma guide

independent

adj · noun · 17 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˌɪn.dɪˈpɛn.dənt/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: IH2 N D IH0 P EH1 N D AH0 N T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Not affiliated with any political party.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: government, politics

Examples

  • the independent candidate

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Providing a comfortable livelihood.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • an independent property

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Not subject to bias or influence; self-directing.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • a man of an independent mind

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adj

Meaning 5

Separate from; exclusive; irrespective.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

A candidate or voter not affiliated with any political party, a freethinker, free of a party platform.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

A neutral or uncommitted person.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

A small, privately owned business.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

A team not affiliated with any league or conference.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: hobbies, lifestyle, sports

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

noun

Meaning 10

An individual, group, or church that operates outside the authority, structure, or dogma of established, hierarchical, or denominational bodies.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: Christianity

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

noun

Meaning 11

An individual governed by spiritual independence; self-governed under divine guidance rather than swayed by human opinions, mortal beliefs, or external influences.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: Christianity

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

adjective

Meaning 12

free from external control and constraint

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • an independent mind
  • a series of independent judgments
  • fiercely independent individualism

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: dependent

13

adjective

Meaning 13

(of a clause) capable of standing syntactically alone as a complete sentence

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the main (or independent) clause in a complex sentence has at least a subject and a verb

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: main(a)

Antonyms: dependent

14

adjective satellite

Meaning 14

not controlled by a party or interest group

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

15

adjective satellite

Meaning 15

(of political bodies) not controlled by outside forces

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • an autonomous judiciary
  • a sovereign state

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: autonomous, self-governing, sovereign

Antonyms: none provided

16

noun

Meaning 16

a writer or artist who sells services to different employers without a long-term contract with any of them

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: freelancer, freelance, free-lance, free lance, self-employed person

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: worker

17

noun

Meaning 17

a neutral or uncommitted person (especially in politics)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: mugwump, fencesitter

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: individualist

History

Etymology

From French indépendant, equivalent to in- + dependent.

Across languages

Translations

131 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: onafhanklik — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Albanian: pavarur — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Arabic: مُسْتَقِل (mustaqil) — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Arabic: حُرّ (ḥurr) — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Armenian: անկախ (ankax) — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Armenian: ինքնուրույն (inkʻnuruyn) — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Azerbaijani: müstəqil — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Bashkir: бойондороҡһоҙ (boyondoroqhoź) — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Belarusian: незале́жны (njezaljéžny) — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Belarusian: самасто́йны (samastójny) — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Central Bikol: talingkas — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Bulgarian: незави́сим (nezavísim) — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Burmese: လွတ်လပ် (lwatlap) — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Catalan: independent — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Chinese Mandarin: 獨立 /独立 (dúlì) — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Crimean Tatar: mustaqil — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Czech: nezávislý — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Danish: uafhængig — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Danish: selvstændig — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Dutch: onafhankelijk — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Dutch: zelfstandig — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Esperanto: memstara — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Esperanto: sendependa — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Estonian: sõltumatu — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Estonian: iseseisev — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Finnish: riippumaton — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Finnish: itsenäinen — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Finnish: vapaa — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • French: indépendant — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Galician: independente — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Georgian: დამოუკიდებელი (damouḳidebeli) — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • German: unabhängig — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • German: selbständig — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Greek: ανεξάρτητος (anexártitos) — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Hindi: स्वतंत्र (svatantra) — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Hindi: स्वाधीन (svādhīn) — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Hindi: आज़ाद (āzād) — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Hungarian: független — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Hungarian: önálló — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Icelandic: sjálfstæður — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Indonesian: merdeka — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Irish: neamhspleách — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Italian: indipendente — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Japanese: 独立した (dokuritsu shita) — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Kazakh: тәуелсіз (täuelsız) — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Kazakh: азат (azat) — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Khmer: ឯករាជ (ʼaekaʼriəc) — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Korean: 독립의 (dongnib-ui) — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Korean: 독립적인 (dongnipjeog-in) — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Central Kurdish: سەربەست (serbest) — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Central Kurdish: سەربەخۆ (serbexo) — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Northern Kurdish: serbixwe — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Kyrgyz: көз каранды эмес (köz karandı emes) — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Lao: ອິສະລະ (ʼi sa la) — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Latin: independens — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Latvian: neatkarīgs — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Lithuanian: nepriklausomas — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Macedonian: независен (nezavisen) — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Malay: merdeka — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Malay: mandiri — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Malayalam: സ്വതന്ത്ര (svatantra) — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Mongolian: бие даасан (bije daasan) — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Norwegian Bokmål: uavhengig — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Norwegian Bokmål: selvstendig — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Occitan: independent — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Pashto: خپلواک (xpəlwāk) — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Persian: مستقل (mostaqel) — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Polish: niepodległy — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Polish: niezależny — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Polish: niezawisły — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Portuguese: independente — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Romanian: independent — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Romanian: liber — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Russian: незави́симый (nezavísimyj) — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Russian: самостоя́тельный (samostojátelʹnyj) — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Russian: свобо́дный (svobódnyj) — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Sanskrit: स्वतन्त्र (svatantra) — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Scottish Gaelic: neo-eisimeileach — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Serbo-Croatian: самосталан — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Serbo-Croatian: независан — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Serbo-Croatian: неовисан — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Serbo-Croatian: sȁmostālan — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Serbo-Croatian: nezávisan — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Serbo-Croatian: nȅovisan — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Slovak: nezávislý — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Slovene: neodvisen — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Lower Sorbian: samostatny — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Spanish: independiente — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Swedish: självständig — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Swedish: oberoende — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Tagalog: malaya — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Tajik: мустақил (mustaqil) — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Thai: อิสระ (ìt-sà-rà) — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Tibetan: རང་བཙན — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Turkish: bağımsız — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Turkmen: özbaşdak — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Turkmen: garaşsyz — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Ukrainian: незале́жний (nezaléžnyj) — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Ukrainian: самості́йний (samostíjnyj) — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Urdu: آزاد (āzād) — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Uzbek: mustaqil — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Uzbek: ozod — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Vietnamese: độc lập — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Woiwurrung: yering-garrine — not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free
  • Afrikaans: onafhanklik — not aligned with any political party
  • Bulgarian: независим (nezavisim) — not aligned with any political party
  • Burmese: တစ်သီးပုဂ္ဂလ (tacsi:pugga.la.) — not aligned with any political party
  • Chinese Mandarin: 無黨籍 /无党籍 (wúdǎngjí) — not aligned with any political party
  • Esperanto: senpartia — not aligned with any political party
  • Finnish: sitoutumaton — not aligned with any political party
  • Galician: independente — not aligned with any political party
  • German: unabhängig — not aligned with any political party
  • Hungarian: független — not aligned with any political party
  • Hungarian: párton kívüli — not aligned with any political party
  • Icelandic: utanflokka — not aligned with any political party
  • Italian: indipendente — not aligned with any political party
  • Japanese: 無所属 (mushozoku) — not aligned with any political party
  • Korean: 무소속 (musosok) — not aligned with any political party
  • Latvian: neatkarīgs — not aligned with any political party
  • Malay: bebas — not aligned with any political party
  • Polish: niezrzeszony — not aligned with any political party
  • Portuguese: independente — not aligned with any political party
  • Spanish: independiente — not aligned with any political party
  • Swedish: partilös — not aligned with any political party
  • Swedish: oberoende — not aligned with any political party
  • Urdu: آزاد اُمیدوار (āzād umīdvār) — not aligned with any political party
  • Afrikaans: onafhanklike kandidaat — a candidate or voter not affiliated with any political party
  • Bulgarian: независим кандидат (nezavisim kandidat) — a candidate or voter not affiliated with any political party
  • Portuguese: independente — a candidate or voter not affiliated with any political party
  • Portuguese: candidato/eleitor independente — a candidate or voter not affiliated with any political party
  • Bulgarian: независим отбор (nezavisim otbor) — a team not affiliated with any league or conference
Real reading context

independent in complete knowledge articles