Etymograph

English

independent

Independent comes from Middle English independent.

  1. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500independent1
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1795independent1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English independent
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1795, Robert Plumer Ward: “That obligation in general, under which we conceive ourselves…”.

Lineage

  1. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500independentWiktionary, English independent
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1795independentWiktionary, English independent. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1795, Robert Plumer Ward: “That obligation in general, under which we conceive ourselves…”

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Today it means

adj Not dependent; not contingent or depending on something else; free.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “independent”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Middle English independent / independent