Skip to content

independent

/ˌɪn.dɪˈpɛn.dənt/noun, adjective4 syllables

Independent means: free from external control and constraint.

Synonyms for independent38

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

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

noun, as in a neutral or uncommitted person (especially in politics)

mugwump, fencesitter

adjective, as in free from external control and constraint

autarkic, autarkical, autonomous, self-directed, self-reliant, breakaway, fissiparous, separatist, commutative, free-living, nonparasitic, nonsymbiotic, indie, self-sufficient
and 9 more, self-sufficing, self-sustaining, self-supporting, single-handed, strong-minded, unaffiliated, unconditional, free, separate

adjective, as in (of political bodies) not controlled by outside forces

autonomous, self-governing, sovereign, free

adjective, as in not controlled by a party or interest group

nonpartisan, nonpartizan

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

main

also used for independent

self-standing, substantive, crossbencher

Includes material from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Opposites of independent

dependent

What does independent mean?6

adjective

1

free from external control and constraint“an independent mind”

2

(of political bodies) not controlled by outside forces“an autonomous judiciary”

3

not controlled by a party or interest group

4

(of a clause) capable of standing syntactically alone as a complete sentence“the main (or independent) clause in a complex sentence has at least a subject and a verb”

noun

1

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

2

a neutral or uncommitted person (especially in politics)

Definitions from the Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

What rhymes with independent?6

two syllables

pendant

five syllables

superintendent
Show 40 near rhymes
secondlevelseveralquestionspecialparentspresentquestionscentralattentionelectionsevenpotentialcreditmessagesectionwelcomeextralevelscollectionexpecteddevelopedsuccessfuldirectionendedtexassecondsprotectionengineinvestmentmentalmentionedmetalchairmanmethodsenateconnectiondevelopweaponsmention

Independent in a sentence

  • He ran as a candidate, independent of any party.unknown
  • In a democracy, it is important for journalism to be independent.qdii
  • In a democracy, it's important for the press to be independent.AlanF_US
  • Dick had been dependent on his parents, but now he's independent of them.CP
  • As he gets older, your son will grow more independent.AlanF_US
  • Dick has been dependent on his parents, but is now independent of them.shekitten
  • In a democracy, it is important that the press be independent.CM
  • Everyone is very welcome, independent of their nationality.erikspen

Sentences from Tatoeba, CC BY 2.0 FR, credited to their authors.

Forms of independent

as a noun

plural
independents