Independently

Independently is an adverb that describes performing an action without assistance, influence, or coordination with others. It commonly signals self-reliance, autonomy, or operation apart from other factors. The word derives from the adjective independent, which itself comes from Latin independens, formed with the negative prefix in- and dependere, “to hang from” or be dependent.

Usage

In everyday speech, independently indicates solo effort or self-direction: “She completed the project independently.” In research and science, it denotes actions or observations that are not tied to a common source of influence, such as “The two trials were conducted independently.” In statistics and experimental design, independence refers to the lack of dependence between variables or samples, while independently is used to describe the manner in which actions occur without cross-influence. In professional and media contexts, independently can describe entities operating without external control, for example, “an independently owned newspaper” or “an independently run agency.”

Grammar and style

Independently is the adverbial form of independent and can modify verbs, adjectives, or entire clauses: “They work independently,” “The researchers verified the results independently of the initial study.” It is often used with phrases like independently of, to indicate actions or outcomes that occur without regard to another factor.

See also

independent, independence, dependence, dependent, depend.