independently

independently — adverb

1. in a way that is not affected, directed, or controlled by anyone or anything els

1.副詞B2
釋義

in a way that is not affected, directed, or controlled by anyone or anything else; making your own choices or forming your own opinions without being swayed by outside pressures or expectations.

例句

Renata made her decision independently, ignoring pressure from senior colleagues.

verb + independently (decision-making)

The two research teams worked independently but published nearly identical results.

independently with verbs of operation

同義詞
  • autonomously

    slightly more formal; often used for organisations or systems rather than individuals

  • separately

    focuses on physical or structural apartness rather than freedom from influence

  • freely

    broader in meaning; can refer to cost-free or unrestricted action, not specifically to independence

反義詞
  • dependently

    rare in everyday use; more common as a phrase: in a dependent way or under the influence of

  • collectively

    highlights joint decision-making rather than individual freedom

文法句型

independently + of + noun phrase

verb + independently

用法筆記

Frequently collocates with verbs of cognition (think, decide, judge) and with of to indicate what is being separated from. The structure independently from is sometimes used but is considered less standard than independently of in formal writing.

常見錯誤

❌Independently from the government, the charity raised its own funds.
✅Independently of the government, the charity raised its own funds.
💡'independently of' is the standard prepositional pairing in formal English.
❌She decided independent.
✅She decided independently.
💡the adverb form is needed to modify the verb; 'independent' is an adjective.

2. relying only on your own financial resources, effort, or ability rather than acc

2.副詞B2
釋義

relying only on your own financial resources, effort, or ability rather than accepting support, assistance, or money from anyone else.

例句

Christopher started his catering business independently, using only his personal savings.

start + independently (venture creation)

Diya completed the house renovation independently, without hiring any outside workers.

同義詞
  • single-handedly

    emphasises doing something alone, often despite difficulty; slightly informal

  • unaided

    more formal; suggests the absence of any assistance, not just financial

  • on one's own

    informal phrase; broader in scope and used in everyday conversation

反義詞
  • with assistance

    phrase rather than single-word antonym; common in both formal and informal contexts

  • jointly

    implies shared resources or collaborative effort

文法句型

verb + independently

live / function / manage independently

用法筆記

Common with verbs describing everyday living and financial self-reliance (live, manage, travel, support oneself). Distinguish from sense 1: sense 2 focuses on not receiving help or money, whereas sense 1 focuses on freedom from control or influence.

常見錯誤

❌He lives independent from his parents.
✅He lives independently of his parents.
💡requires the adverbial form and the preposition 'of.'
❌She managed the project independently enough.' (vague)
✅She managed the entire project independently, with no external funding.
💡be specific about what kind of help was absent.