3  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Independent  \In`de*pend"ent\,  a.  [Pref.  in-  not  +  dependent:  cf 
  F.  ind['e]pendant.] 
  1.  Not  dependent;  free  not  subject  to  control  by  others  not 
  relying  on  others  not  subordinate;  as  few  men  are  wholly 
  independent. 
 
  A  dry,  but  independent  crust.  --Cowper. 
 
  2.  Affording  a  comfortable  livelihood;  as  an  independent 
  property. 
 
  3.  Not  subject  to  bias  or  influence;  not  obsequious; 
  self-directing;  as  a  man  of  an  independent  mind. 
 
  4.  Expressing  or  indicating  the  feeling  of  independence; 
  free  easy;  bold;  unconstrained;  as  an  independent  air  or 
  manner. 
 
  5.  Separate  from  exclusive;  irrespective. 
 
  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. 
 
  6.  (Eccl.)  Belonging  or  pertaining  to  or  holding  to  the 
  doctrines  or  methods  of  the  Independents. 
 
  7.  (Math.)  Not  dependent  upon  another  quantity  in  respect  to 
  value  or  rate  of  variation;  --  said  of  quantities  or 
  functions. 
 
  8.  (U.  S.  Politics)  Not  bound  by  party;  exercising  a  free 
  choice  in  voting  with  either  or  any  party. 
 
  {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. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  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. 
 
  Note:  In  England  the  name  is  often  applied  (commonly  in  the 
  pl.)  to  the  Congregationalists. 
 
  2.  (Politics)  One  who  does  not  acknowledge  an  obligation  to 
  support  a  party's  candidate  under  all  circumstances;  one 
  who  exercises  liberty  in  voting. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  independent 
  adj  1:  free  from  external  control  and  constraint;  "an  independent 
  mind";  "a  series  of  independent  judgments";  "fiercely 
  independent  individualism";  "an  independent  republic" 
  [ant:  {dependent}] 
  2:  not  dependent  on  or  conditioned  by  or  relative  to  anything 
  else 
  3:  of  political  bodies;  "an  autonomous  judiciary";  "a  sovereign 
  state"  [syn:  {autonomous},  {self-governing},  {sovereign}] 
  4:  not  contingent 
  5:  (grammar)  of  a  clause;  able  to  stand  alone  syntactically  as 
  a  complete  sentence;  "the  main  (or  independent)  clause  in 
  a  complex  sentence  has  at  least  a  subject  and  a  verb" 
  [syn:  {main(a)}]  [ant:  {dependent}] 
  6:  not  controlled  by  a  party  or  interest  group 
  n  1:  a  neutral  or  uncommitted  person  (especially  in  politics) 
  [syn:  {mugwump}] 
  2:  a  writer  or  artist  who  sells  services  to  different  employers 
  without  a  long-term  contract  with  any  of  them  [syn:  {freelance}, 
  {self-employed  person}] 

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