samostatný

Samostatný is an adjective used in Czech and Slovak to describe something that operates or exists without depending on others. It can refer to a person who acts autonomously, a device or system that functions independently, or a political entity with full sovereignty, as in samostatný stát. The nuance ranges from personal independence to self-sufficiency.

In grammar, samostatný is declined like a standard Czech or Slovak adjective. It agrees with the noun in gender, number, and case; feminine is samostatná and neuter is samostatné in the singular, with corresponding forms in the plural. The adverb samostatně conveys acting independently. A related noun is samostatnost, meaning independence or self-reliance.

Etymology: the word is built from the prefix sam- meaning "self" combined with a suffix for adjectives, and is closely linked to the noun samostatnost. It is cognate in Czech and Slovak, sharing the same core meaning across both languages.

Common usage includes phrases such as samostatný pracovník (an independent worker), samostatná jednotka (a self-contained unit), or samostatné rozhodnutí (an independent decision). The term differs in nuance from nezávislý, which emphasizes freedom from external control, while samostatný stresses autonomy and self-sufficiency.