independent

Everyday

1. Able to do things for yourself without needing help from others. tree →
2. Of a country: ruling itself, not controlled by another country. tree →
3. Not connected with or controlled by something else: «an independent school», «an independent shop». tree →
4. (maths/science) An «independent variable» is the thing you change on purpose in an experiment. tree →
5. An independent is a person who does not belong to any party or group and makes up their own mind. tree →

In the lessons

In growing up and life skills lessons: becoming more independent means dressing, packing your bag and walking to school by yourself. In history: «Independence Day» (a national holiday in the USA), countries became independent. In science fair tests: change only the independent variable and keep everything else the same.

Examples

• My little brother wants to be independent and tie his own shoes. tree →
• The USA became independent from Britain after a war long ago. tree →
• She goes to an independent school. tree →
• We bought bread from an independent bakery. tree →
• In our test, the independent variable was the amount of water. tree →
• Cats are more independent than dogs. tree →
• Learning to cook makes you more independent. tree →
• It certainly prevented Perrault from being a thorough scholar, though it made him a man of taste, a sincere independent, and an undaunted amateur. tree →

Note

Spelling trap: «independent» ends in «-ent», not «-ant». Noun: «independence». «Independent of» means «not needing»: «independent of your parents». In experiments, the «dependent variable» is what you measure; the «independent variable» is what you change.