Emily Dickinson Lexicon

IN-DE-PEND'ENCE, n. [in and dependence.]

1. A state of being not dependent; complete exemption from control, or the power of others; as, the independence of the Supreme Being.
2. A state in which a person does not rely on others for subsistence; ability to support one's self.
3. A state of mind in which a person acts without bias or influence from others; exemption from undue influence; self-direction. Independence of mind is an important qualification in a judge. Declaration of Independence, the solemn declaration of the Congress of the United States of America, on the 4th of July, 1776, by which they formally renounced their subjection to the government of Great Britain.