Independent Definition & Meaning

independent
adjective
  1. free from external control and constraint; "an independent mind"; "a series of independent judgments"; "fiercely independent individualism"
  2. (of political bodies) not controlled by outside forces; "an autonomous judiciary"; "a sovereign state"
  3. (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"
  4. not controlled by a party or interest group
noun
  1. a neutral or uncommitted person (especially in politics)
  2. a writer or artist who sells services to different employers without a long-term contract with any of them

Synonyms for independent

absolute adj

perfect or complete or pure; "absolute loyalty"; "absolute silence"; "absolute truth

♫ Rhymes ↔ Synonyms
autonomous adj

(of political bodies) not controlled by outside forces; "an autonomous judiciary

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breakaway adj

having separated or advocating separation from another entity or policy or attitude

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commutative adj

(of a binary operation) independent of order; as in e.g. "a x b = b x a"

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free adv

without restraint; "cows in India are running loose" able to act at will; not hampered

♫ Rhymes ↔ Synonyms
freelance adj

working for yourself serving for wages in a foreign army

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individual adj

being or characteristic of a single thing or person; "individual drops of rain"; "please mark the individual pages

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main adj

most important element; "the chief aim of living"; "the main doors were of solid glass

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mugwump noun

someone who bolted from the Republican Party during the U.S. presidential election of 1884 a neutral or uncommitted

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nonpartisan adj

free from party affiliation or bias a person who is nonpartisan

♫ Rhymes ↔ Synonyms

"Independent" in song lyrics

See how independent is used in real songs:

  • "Facing life so it's strike three, independent"
    504 Boyz f/ Krazy — Tell Me
  • "Hip-hop is back and independent"
    9th Prince f/ Don Don — Young Black Millions
  • "But the incentive, the pride I feel is independent"
    Dre Dog (Andre Nickatina) f/ Equipto — That!

Words that rhyme with independent

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Usage tips for "independent"

Understanding the precise definition of a word helps you use it with confidence. When using "independent" in your writing, consider whether you need the word itself or one of its synonyms — subtle differences in meaning can change the tone of a sentence. If you're writing poetry or song lyrics, check the rhymes for independent to find words that pair well.

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♫ Rhymes with independent ↔ Synonyms for independent 🔬 Words containing independent

Frequently asked questions

What does independent mean?
free from external control and constraint; "an independent mind"; "a series of independent judgments"; "fiercely independent individualism" (of political bodies) not controlled by outside forces; "an autonomous judiciary"; "a sovereign state" (of a clause) capable of standing syntactically alone as a complete sentence
What part of speech is independent?
Independent is an adjective and a noun.
How many definitions does independent have?
Independent has 6 definitions across 2 parts of speech (adjective, noun).

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