independent
independent — adjective
1. able to form your own opinions and take your own actions without being told what
able to form your own opinions and take your own actions without being told what to do by others or affected by outside forces.
The committee members reached an independent conclusion that differed from the manager's view.
independent conclusion: a decision made without outside influence
Jisoo wanted an independent opinion from a doctor who was not connected to the hospital.
independent opinion: advice from someone with no bias
The judge's ruling was independent of any pressure from the media or the government.
An independent investigation into the accident was launched by the city council.
The two studies were carried out by independent teams and reached the same result.
- autonomous
more formal; emphasizes self-governance or self-rule rather than simply being free of influence
- unbiased
focuses on fairness and lack of prejudice, especially in judgment contexts
- neutral
suggests not taking sides in a dispute rather than freedom from control
文法句型
independent + noun
independent of + noun
用法筆記
Common in formal and legal contexts. The phrase 'independent of' is typically followed by a noun phrase describing what is not influencing the situation.
常見錯誤
2. describes a politician or candidate who does not officially belong to any politi
describes a politician or candidate who does not officially belong to any political party and decides how to vote on each issue individually.
The small town elected an independent mayor who had never joined any party.
Esteban ran as an independent candidate and received support from both sides of the debate.
independent candidate: a person running for office without party affiliation
Three independent members of parliament formed a voting block to push for education reform.
The independent senator refused to follow either party's instructions on the tax bill.
Voters who are tired of partisan fighting often turn to independent candidates at election time.
- non-partisan
similar meaning but broader — can describe organizations or media, not just politicians
- unaffiliated
general term for not being connected to a group; less specific to politics
- partisan
strongly supporting a particular political party
- party-affiliated
officially connected to a political party
文法句型
independent + politician/candidate/MP
用法筆記
Frequently used before nouns like 'politician', 'candidate', 'MP', 'senator', or 'member'. Can also appear as 'an independent' (noun).
常見錯誤
3. describes a country or region that has its own government and is not ruled or co
describes a country or region that has its own government and is not ruled or controlled by another nation.
India became an independent nation in 1947 after decades of British rule.
The island declared itself an independent state and wrote its own constitution.
independent state: a self-governing country
Many former colonies have become independent countries over the past century.
An independent judiciary is one of the key features of a democratic nation.
After the war the region was granted independent status and elected its first president.
- sovereign
more formal and legal; emphasizes supreme authority within a territory
- self-governing
emphasizes the ability to make one's own political decisions
- autonomous
often used for regions within a larger country that have some self-rule
文法句型
independent + nation/country/state
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 2 (NO POLITICAL PARTY): this sense applies to countries, regions, and governing bodies, not to individual politicians. 'Independent judiciary' shares this meaning of freedom from external control.
常見錯誤
4. able to take care of yourself, make your own choices, and manage your money or d
able to take care of yourself, make your own choices, and manage your money or daily needs without relying on other people for help or support.
At age eighteen, Indra moved out and became financially independent from her parents.
financially independent: able to support yourself with your own money
The school teaches children to be independent by giving them small responsibilities every day.
Folake is an independent person who solves her own problems before asking for help.
After months of physiotherapy, Wren could walk again without help and felt truly independent.
Having a part-time job helped the teenager feel more independent and confident about the future.
- self-sufficient
emphasizes being able to provide for all one's own needs, especially material ones
- self-reliant
focuses on trusting one's own abilities rather than depending on others
文法句型
be independent
independent + noun (person)
用法筆記
Often modified by adverbs such as 'financially', 'economically', or 'fully'. The opposite 'dependent on' uses the preposition 'on'.
常見錯誤
5. describes a business, school, shop, or organization that runs without being owne
describes a business, school, shop, or organization that runs without being owned, funded, or directed by a larger company or other institution.
The street is full of independent bookshops that sell rare and second-hand books.
independent bookshop: a store not owned by a large chain
Ziad decided to open an independent coffee shop instead of buying a franchise.
The film was produced by an independent studio with a very small budget.
Many parents prefer independent schools because they offer a different approach to learning.
The singer began at an independent label before joining a major company.
文法句型
independent + business/school/shop/store
用法筆記
Common collocations include 'independent bookstore/cafe/shop', 'independent school', 'independent label/studio/producer'. In the UK, 'independent school' is the term for private schools that are not state-funded.
常見錯誤
6. describes a clause within a sentence that can form a complete sentence on its ow
describes a clause within a sentence that can form a complete sentence on its own because it contains a subject and a verb and expresses a full idea.
In the sentence "I stayed home because I was ill," the first part is an independent clause.
A compound sentence joins two independent clauses with a word like 'and' or 'but'.
two independent clauses joined by a conjunction
Every independent clause must have both a subject and a verb to be grammatically complete.
The teacher asked the class to identify the independent clause in a long paragraph.
An independent clause can stand alone as a simple sentence such as "Ava left early."
- main clause
the more common term in traditional grammar teaching; identical meaning
- dependent clause
a clause that cannot stand alone as a sentence; also called a subordinate clause
文法句型
independent clause
用法筆記
Only used in grammar and linguistics contexts. The opposite term is 'dependent clause' (also called 'subordinate clause'), which cannot form a sentence by itself.
常見錯誤
independent — noun
1. an elected representative who has no party affiliation and decides how to vote o
an elected representative who has no party affiliation and decides how to vote on each matter according to personal conviction rather than party rules.
The independent from the rural district surprised everyone by voting with the opposition party.
Gita ran for office as an independent and won the seat by a narrow margin.
ran as an independent
Several independents joined together to form a coalition government after the election.
The local newspaper published interviews with all the independents running in the election.
Voters who are unhappy with both major parties often choose an independent as their representative.
- party member
a politician who officially belongs to a political party
文法句型
an independent
the independents
用法筆記
Countable noun: 'an independent' (singular), 'independents' (plural). Used especially in political journalism and election coverage. Distinguish from noun sense 2 (a voter without party affiliation).
常見錯誤
2. a person who votes in elections but does not officially register with or feel lo
a person who votes in elections but does not officially register with or feel loyalty to any particular political party.
Polls show that independents make up about a third of the voting population this year.
Both parties are working hard to win the support of independents before the November election.
Alessia, an independent, decides who to vote for based on each candidate's record.
The number of independents has grown steadily as voters become frustrated with both parties.
Independent voters often decide the outcome of close elections in swing states.
- swing voter
a voter who does not consistently support one party and can be persuaded; implies more unpredictability than 'independent'
- party loyalist
a voter who always supports the same political party
文法句型
an independent
the independents
用法筆記
Distinguish from noun sense 1: sense 1 refers to politicians (elected officials or candidates), while sense 2 refers to ordinary voters. 'Independent voters' is a very common news phrase.
3. a small store, restaurant, or other business that is owned by local people rathe
a small store, restaurant, or other business that is owned by local people rather than by a large company or chain.
Our street used to be full of independents, but now chain stores dominate.
Local independents struggle to compete with the prices offered by big online retailers.
Karim shops at independents to support local families in his town.
The neighborhood group encourages residents to buy from independents rather than supermarkets.
Many independents cannot afford city center rent and move to smaller streets.
- local business
emphasizes the geographical aspect rather than the ownership structure; similar meaning
- mom-and-pop shop
informal; describes a small family-run business
- chain store
one of many stores owned and operated by a single large company
- franchise
a business that operates under a larger brand while paying fees to the parent company
文法句型
an independent
independents (plural)
用法筆記
Plural form 'independents' is very common in business and economic contexts. Often contrasted with 'chain stores' or 'big-box retailers'. In everyday speech, 'small independent shops' is more common than using 'independents' alone.