~ (of sb/sth) not dependent (on other people or things); not controlled (by other people or things) 独立的; 自主的; 自立的: old enough to be independent of one's parents 年岁已大不必依赖父母 * She never borrows anything; she's far too independent for that. 她从不向别人借东西, 她很有独立性. * Barbados was once a British colony, but now it's independent. 巴巴多斯曾是英国的殖民地, 现已独立. 
~ (of sb/sth) not connected with each other; separate 不相关联的; 单独的; 独自的; 分开的: Two independent investigators have reached virtually the same conclusions. 两个调查人员各自做出的结论简直完全一致. 
financed by private rather than government money 靠私人而非政府资助的; 私立的: independent television 私营电视台 * the independent sector in education 私立的教育机构 * independent schools 私立学校. 
not depending for its validity or operation on the thing(s) involved （不依附所涉及的事物）本身有效的或有作用的: independent evidence, proof, etc 独立的证词﹑ 证据等. 
not unfairly influenced by the people who are involved; impartial 未受有关的人影响的; 无偏见的: an independent witness, observer, etc 无偏见的证人﹑ 观察者等 * We demand an independent inquiry into the government's handling of the affair. 我们要求对政府处理该事的情况作独立的调查.> independent n (abbr 缩写 Ind) (politics 政) MP, candidate, etc who does not belong to a political party 无党派的议员﹑ 候选人等: stand as an independent 作为无党派候选人.
independently adv: Scientists in different countries, working independently of each other, have come up with very similar results. 各国科学家各自独立进行研究都得到了非常相似的结果.
# ,independent `means private income sufficiently large for one not to have to rely financially on anyoneelse 足以自给自足﹑ 不必依赖他人的个人收入: a womanof independent means 靠个人收入生活的女子.