Key Difference: In the English language, the words Independent and dependent are antonyms. If you want to know the meanings and how to use them while speaking with others, then we will show you. The term “Independent” is used to indicate self-standing people who do not rely on others. Whereas, dependent refers to the people who rely on others. In this tutorial, we will show you the contradictions between these words with proper explanations.
Independent: She gives some independent advice.
Dependent: He was becoming more dependent on his parents.
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Independent:
Self-Standing
The term independent refers to individualistic persons or people who are not controlled by others and make their own decisions. Let’s see an example to make it clear for you. Veronica said I want to be an independent musician. From this statement, we might understand that veronica wants to become an independent musician. Here we come up with another example for your reference. She is an independent woman who loves to help the needy. From this statement, we might understand that someone is interested to help those who are in need.
How Do We Spell the Word Independent?
The phonetics pronunciation of the word Independent is ɪndɪˈpɛnd(ə)nt. And this word sounds like the following audio.
Enunciation:
Syllables are phonological building blocks of words. It divides the words into parts to help you read them more accurately. Let’s see how to split the word “Independent” using syllables. Learning syllables can also help you to spell words correctly.
- The word “Independent” has four syllables.
- It can be divided into “In-de-pend-ent.”
Using “Independent” in sentences:
- She is an independent girl.
- He would like to be financially independent.
- The questions should be independent of each other.
- Teena is working as a professor in a leading independent school.
- I want to be independent and make my own decisions.
Dependent:
Relying on others
The word “dependent” is used to indicate getting support for doing things. Many people in this world rely on others, It might be a family, friends, or anyone. These people are the dependent ones and they cannot manage their own stuff individually and always need help from others. Let’s see an example to make it clear for you. Her family is dependent on the monthly fund. From this statement, we might understand that someone is running a family based on the monthly fund. Here we come up with another example for your reference. Today’s rain forecasting is largely dependent on the weather. From this sentence, we might understand that Based on the weather condition it may or may not rain today.
How Do We Spell the Word Dependent?
The phonetics pronunciation of the word Dependent is dɪˈpɛnd(ə)nt. And this word sounds like the following audio.
Enunciation:
Syllabification refers to the process of division of words into smaller parts. It is commonly known as syllables. With its help, you can easily read and spell the word accurately. Here, you will see how to split the word “Dependent” by syllables.
- The word “Dependent” has three syllables.
- It can be divided into “De-pend-ent.”
Using “Dependent” in sentences:
- He is dependent on his wife.
- We are entirely dependent on your help.
- You cannot be dependent on your parents.
- The land is dry and wholly dependent on irrigation.
- She is entirely dependent on her daughter for money.
Compare: Independent Vs Dependent
This table will show you the contradiction between the words Independent and Dependent.
| Independent | Dependent | |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | It refers to individualistic behavior. | It refers to relying on others. |
| Synonyms | Unconventional, free, bold, self-sufficient | Resting on, controlled by, determined by, supported by |
| Antonyms | Constrained, dependent | Independent, strong, first-class |
| Etymology | early 17th century (as an adjective): partly on the pattern of French indépendant. | late Middle English dependant ‘hanging down’, from Old French, present participle of dependre (see depend). The spelling change in the 16th century was due to association with the Latin participial stem dependent-. |
| Examples | He supports independent candidates. Robert is an independent artist. How can we become independent? She wants to live an independent life. | Their lives are dependent on this factory job. My sister is always dependent on me. These are the dependent equations. They are dependent and worried. |
Resources and References:
Resources: Cambridge Dictionary (Independent, Dependent), Merriam-Webster (Independent, Dependent), Collins Dictionary (Independent, Dependent), Dictionary.com (Independent, Dependent)
Reference: Dictionary.Cambridge.org[1], Merriam-Webster.com[2], CollinsDictionary.com[3], Dictionary.com[4].