independently

independently — adverb

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

1.adverbB2
Definition

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.

Example

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

Common collocations
  • think independently
  • decide independently
  • act independently
  • operate independently
  • judge independently
  • independently of
  • work independently
Synonyms
  • 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

Antonyms
  • 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

Grammar Patterns

independently + of + noun phrase

verb + independently

Usage Note

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.

Common Mistakes

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.adverbB2
Definition

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

Example

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.

Common collocations
  • live independently
  • function independently
  • manage independently
  • support oneself independently
  • travel independently
  • work independently
Synonyms
  • 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

Antonyms
  • with assistance

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

  • jointly

    implies shared resources or collaborative effort

Grammar Patterns

verb + independently

live / function / manage independently

Usage Note

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.

Common Mistakes

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.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

All four words describe acting without outside control, but they differ in emphasis. Autonomously is the closest formal synonym, common in organisational and political contexts ('the region governs autonomously'). Separately focuses on physical or structural apartness rather than freedom from influence ('the two departments report separately'). Freely is much broader—it can mean 'without cost,' 'without restriction,' or 'willingly'—so it lacks the precision of independently when the key idea is self-direction. Individually emphasises one-by-one or person-by-person action rather than the absence of external control ('students were assessed individually'). Use independently when the core message is freedom from outside influence or reliance on others.

autonomouslyseparately ↗freely ↗individually ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • independently verified results
  • independently owned business
  • independently operated unit

Adverbs

  • entirely independently
  • completely independently
  • largely independently
  • financially independently

Phrases

  • independently of one another
  • independently of each other
  • think and act independently
  • live and work independently

Prepositions

  • independently of
  • independently from (less common)

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Formed from independent (combining the Latin prefix in- 'not' + de- 'from' + pendēre 'to hang') + the adverb-forming suffix -ly. The core image is 'not hanging from' something—originally referring to political or personal self-reliance in the 17th century, later extended to thought, judgment, and financial autonomy.