[syn: independent, main(a)]
4. not controlled by a party or interest group;
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Independent \In`de*pend"ent\, a. [Pref. in- not + dependent: cf.
F. ind['e]pendant.]
[1913 Webster]
1. Not dependent; free; not subject to control by others; not
relying on others; not subordinate; as, few men are wholly
independent.
[1913 Webster]
A dry, but independent crust. --Cowper.
[1913 Webster]
2. Affording a comfortable livelihood; as, an independent
property.
[1913 Webster]
3. Not subject to bias or influence; not obsequious;
self-directing; as, a man of an independent mind.
[1913 Webster]
4. Expressing or indicating the feeling of independence;
free; easy; bold; unconstrained; as, an independent air or
manner.
[1913 Webster]
5. Separate from; exclusive; irrespective.
[1913 Webster]
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.
[1913 Webster]
6. (Eccl.) Belonging or pertaining to, or holding to the
doctrines or methods of, the Independents.
[1913 Webster]
7. (Math.) Not dependent upon another quantity in respect to
value or rate of variation; -- said of quantities or
functions.
[1913 Webster]
8. (U. S. Politics) Not bound by party; exercising a free
choice in voting with either or any party.
[1913 Webster]
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.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
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.
[1913 Webster]
Note: In England the name is often applied (commonly in the
pl.) to the Congregationalists.
[1913 Webster]
2. (Politics) One who does not acknowledge an obligation to
support a party's candidate under all circumstances; one
who exercises liberty in voting.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
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]
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
219 Moby Thesaurus words for "independent":
Laodicean, abounding in riches, affluent, alien, anythingarian,
apart, apart from, apathetic, arbitrary, aside from, autarchic,
autarkic, autonomous, barring, besides, beyond, big-rich, bold,
centrist, comfortable, competent, controlled, detached,
disconnected, discrete, discretional, discretionary,
disgustingly rich, disinterested, disjunct, disrelated,
dissociated, distinct, elective, erect, even, except for,
excluding, exclusive of, exotic, external, extraneous, fat,
fence-sitter, fifty-fifty, firm-minded, flush, foreign, forward,
free, free lance, free spirit, free trader, free will,
free-spirited, freethinker, freewheeling, frightfully rich,
gratuitous, half-and-half, house-proud, ignoring, impartial,
importunate, in funds, in the money, incommensurable, incomparable,
independently rich, independently wealthy, indifferent, individual,
individualist, individualistic, inner-directed, insular,
irrelative, irrespective of, isolated, isolationist,
latitudinarian, liberal, libertarian, libertine, loaded, loner,
luxurious, made of money, maverick, midway, moderate, moneyed,
mugwump, mugwumpian, mugwumpish, neuter, neutral, nonaligned,
noncommitted, nonconformist, nonmandatory, nonpartisan,
nothingarian, notwithstanding, offered, on the fence, oofy,
optional, opulent, other, outlandish, outside, passive, prideful,
proffered, prosperous, proud, proud as Lucifer, proud-blooded,
proud-looking, proud-minded, proud-spirited, proudful,
proudhearted, provided for, purse-proud, pushy, removed, rich,
rich as Croesus, rolling in money, rugged individualist, segregate,
self-acting, self-active, self-asserting, self-assertive,
self-assured, self-centered, self-confident, self-contained,
self-controlled, self-dependent, self-determined, self-determining,
self-directing, self-esteeming, self-expressive, self-governed,
self-governing, self-helpful, self-helping, self-improving,
self-possessed, self-reliant, self-respecting, self-restrained,
self-subsistent, self-sufficient, self-supporting, self-sustained,
self-sustaining, separate, separated, sovereign, spontaneous,
stiff-necked, strange, strong-minded, strong-willed, swing vote,
third force, third world, third-force, third-world, unaffiliated,
unallied, unasked, unassociated, unbesought, unbiased, unbidden,
uncalled-for, uncoerced, uncommitted, uncommitted voter,
uncompelled, unconnected, uncontrolled, undecided, unearned,
unfettered, unforced, uninfluenced, uninvited, uninvolved,
unlimited, unprejudiced, unpressured, unprompted, unrelatable,
unrelated, unrequested, unrequired, unrestrained, unrestricted,
unsolicited, unsought, voluntary, volunteer, wallowing in wealth,
warm, wealthy, well provided for, well-fixed, well-heeled,
well-off, well-to-do, willful