INDEPENDENT

adj. free; autonomous, self-governing, sovereign; self-reliant, self-sufficient

n. independent person or thing; one who does not belong to any political party (Politics)

Independent may refer to:Independence, the self-government of a nation, country, or stateIndependent (politician), not affiliated with any political partyIndependent (voter), not a member of any political partyIndependent (religion), group active during the English Civil WarIndependent city, a city that does not form part of another local government entityIndependent business, privately-owned companiesIndependent bookstore, a bookstore that is not part of a chain Independent publisher, a small press not associated with a major publisherIndependent clothes store, a boutique not associated with the larger retailers Independent brewery, craft brewer with less than 25% owned by alcoholic beverage industry member Independent pub, a free house that is owned independently of a breweryIndependent school, a school which is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operationIndependent living, a philosophy of working for self-determination, self-respect and equal opportunitiesIndependent sources, in journalism, two or more sources which attest to a given piece of informationVickers A1E1 Independent, a British multi-turreted tank designed during the Interwar periodIndependent Truck Company, an American skateboarding brandRochester independent college, a school with a different ethos In mathematics:Statistical independenceLinear independenceLogical independenceIndependent variable
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Noun
1. a neutral or uncommitted person (especially in politics)
(synonym) mugwump, fencesitter
(hypernym) individualist
(classification) politics, political science, government
2. a writer or artist who sells services to different employers without a long-term contract with any of them
(synonym) freelance, self-employed person
(hypernym) worker
Adjective
1. free from external control and constraint; "an independent mind"; "a series of independent judgments"; "fiercely independent individualism"; "an independent republic"
(antonym) dependent
(similar) autarkic, autarkical
(see-also) free
(attribute) independence, independency
2. not dependent on or conditioned by or relative to anything else
(similar) absolute
3. of political bodies; "an autonomous judiciary"; "a sovereign state"
(synonym) autonomous, self-governing, sovereign
(similar) free
4. not contingent
(similar) unconditional
5. of a clause; able to stand alone syntactically as a complete sentence; "the main (or independent) clause in a complex sentence has at least a subject and a verb"
(synonym) main(a)
(antonym) dependent, subordinate
(classification) grammar
6. not controlled by a party or interest group
(similar) nonpartisan, nonpartizan

(n.)
One who does not acknowledge an obligation to support a party's candidate under all circumstances; one who exercises liberty in voting.
  

(n.)
One who believes that an organized Christian church is complete in itself, competent to self-government, and independent of all ecclesiastical authority.
  

(a.)
Separate from; exclusive; irrespective.
  

(a.)
Not subject to bias or influence; not obsequious; self-directing; as, a man of an independent mind.
  

(a.)
Not dependent; free; not subject to control by others; not relying on others; not subordinate; as, few men are wholly independent.
  

(a.)
Not dependent upon another quantity in respect to value or rate of variation; -- said of quantities or functions.
  

(a.)
Not bound by party; exercising a free choice in voting with either or any party.
  

(a.)
Expressing or indicating the feeling of independence; free; easy; bold; unconstrained; as, an independent air or manner.
  

(a.)
Belonging or pertaining to, or holding to the doctrines or methods of, the Independents.
  

(a.)
Affording a comfortable livelihood; as, an independent property.
  

retail outlet not owned by the large chain; usually below 10 stores (see voluntary buying group).

in research a variable that exerts some influence on another (dependent) variable. Research experiments usually involve some manipulation of independent variables and measurement of dependent variables to investigate the relationship between them.