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Added 9 October 2026

independent

/ˌɪn.dɪˈpɛn.dənt/ noun

In Latin: independens Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about independent at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A neutral or uncommitted person (especially in politics).
A writer or artist who sells services to different employers without a long-term contract with any of them.

adjective

Free from external control and constraint.
an independent mind
(of political bodies) not controlled by outside forces.
an autonomous judiciary
(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

Origin

From Middle English independent, equivalent to in- + dependent. Compare French indépendant.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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