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Definition of independent adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

independent

adjective
 
/ˌɪndɪˈpendənt/
 
/ˌɪndɪˈpendənt/
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    country

  1. (of a country) having its own government synonym self-governing
    • an independent state/nation/country
    • the newly independent republics of Central Asia in the 1990s
    • Mozambique became independent in 1975.
    • In 1961 the country was declared independent.
    • independent from something The country became fully independent from France in 1960.
    • independent of something Adams urged Congress to declare the American colonies independent of Britain.
    Topics Politicsa2
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs
    • be
    • become
    • remain
    adverb
    • completely
    • entirely
    • fully
    preposition
    • from
    • of
    See full entry
  2. person

  3. confident and free to do things without needing help from other people
    • Going away to college has made me much more independent.
    • She's a very independent-minded young woman.
    • Pat has always been fiercely independent.
    • independent of somebody/something Students should aim to become more independent of their teachers.
    opposite dependentTopics Personal qualitiesb1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs
    • be
    • feel
    • seem
    adverb
    • fiercely
    • very
    • completely
    preposition
    • of
    See full entry
  4. having or earning enough money so that you do not have to rely on somebody else for help
    • independent of somebody/something It was important to me to be financially independent of my parents.
    • a man of independent means (= with an income that he does not earn by working)
    opposite dependent
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs
    • be
    • feel
    • seem
    adverb
    • fiercely
    • very
    • completely
    preposition
    • of
    See full entry
  5. separate

  6. done or given by somebody who is not involved in a situation and so is able to judge it fairly
    • an independent inquiry/review/investigation
    • an independent commission/body/panel
    • an independent adviser/consultant/expert
    • She went to a lawyer for some independent advice.
    • The auditing of a company's accounts is done by independent accountants.
  7. not connected with or influenced by something; not connected with each other
    • independent of somebody/something The police force should be independent of direct government control.
    • Two independent research bodies reached the same conclusions.
    • The results were obtained from four independent experiments.
    Extra Examples
    • This figure is essentially independent of population size.
    • His system rests upon two logically independent arguments.
    • They are two separate, mutually independent entities.
    • The Institute will quickly become a fully independent unit.
    • His company is a target for takeovers, but plans to stay independent.
    • The country has pursued an effectively independent line on military issues.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs
    • be
    • become
    • remain
    adverb
    • completely
    • entirely
    • fully
    preposition
    • from
    • of
    See full entry
  8. organization/worker

  9. supported by private money rather than government money
    • independent television
    • the independent sector
  10. not employed or controlled by a company; not created by a big company
    • She was hired to do the work as an independent contractor.
    • Farmers operate as independent producers in the sense of working for themselves and running their own business.
    • a low-budget independent film
  11. politician

  12. not representing or belonging to a particular political party
    • an independent candidate
    Topics Politicsb2
  13. Word Originearly 17th cent. (as an adjective): partly on the pattern of French indépendant.
See independent in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee independent in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
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