From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Independent \In`de*pend"ent\, n.
1. (Eccl.) One who believes that an organized Christian
church is complete in itself, competent to
self-government, and independent of all ecclesiastical
authority.
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Note: In England the name is often applied (commonly in the
pl.) to the Congregationalists.
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2. (Politics) One who does not acknowledge an obligation to
support a party's candidate under all circumstances; one
who exercises liberty in voting.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Independent \In`de*pend"ent\, a. [Pref. in- not + dependent: cf.
F. ind['e]pendant.]
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1. Not dependent; free; not subject to control by others; not
relying on others; not subordinate; as, few men are wholly
independent.
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A dry, but independent crust. --Cowper.
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2. Affording a comfortable livelihood; as, an independent
property.
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3. Not subject to bias or influence; not obsequious;
self-directing; as, a man of an independent mind.
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4. Expressing or indicating the feeling of independence;
free; easy; bold; unconstrained; as, an independent air or
manner.
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5. Separate from; exclusive; irrespective.
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That obligation in general, under which we conceive
ourselves bound to obey a law, independent of those
resources which the law provides for its own
enforcement. --R. P. Ward.
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6. (Eccl.) Belonging or pertaining to, or holding to the
doctrines or methods of, the Independents.
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7. (Math.) Not dependent upon another quantity in respect to
value or rate of variation; -- said of quantities or
functions.
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8. (U. S. Politics) Not bound by party; exercising a free
choice in voting with either or any party.
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Independent company (Mil.), one not incorporated in any
regiment.
Independent seconds watch, a stop watch having a second
hand driven by a separate set of wheels, springs, etc.,
for timing to a fraction of a second.
Independent variable. (Math.) See Dependent variable,
under Dependent.
Syn: Free; uncontrolled; separate; uncoerced; self-reliant;
bold; unconstrained; unrestricted.
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From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
independent
adj 1: free from external control and constraint; "an
independent mind"; "a series of independent judgments";
"fiercely independent individualism" [ant: dependent]
2: (of political bodies) not controlled by outside forces; "an
autonomous judiciary"; "a sovereign state" [syn:
autonomous, independent, self-governing, sovereign]
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" [syn:
independent, {main(a)}] [ant: dependent, subordinate]
4: not controlled by a party or interest group
n 1: a neutral or uncommitted person (especially in politics)
[syn: mugwump, independent, fencesitter]
2: a writer or artist who sells services to different employers
without a long-term contract with any of them [syn:
freelancer, freelance, free-lance, free lance,
independent, self-employed person]