established / settled
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in private practice
Describes a person in a liberal profession, especially a doctor, lawyer, or therapist, who runs their own independent practice and is not employed by an institution such as a hospital.
Sie suchte lange nach einem guten niedergelassenen Kinderarzt in ihrem Viertel.
She searched for a long time for a good pediatrician in private practice in her neighborhood.
settled
The quality of having settled permanently in a place and established a fixed residence there.
Die seit Generationen in dem Tal niedergelassene Gemeinschaft pflegt ihre alten Traditionen.
The community that has been settled in the valley for generations maintains its old traditions.
'Niedergelassen' (established/settled) is the past participle of the reflexive verb 'sich niederlassen' (to settle down / to establish oneself). This verb means to settle permanently in a place or to establish a professional practice.
Nach Jahren im Ausland hat er sich wieder in seiner Heimatstadt niedergelassen.
After years abroad, he settled back in his hometown.
You can recognize the meaning from the context. If people are talking about professions such as doctor, lawyer, or therapist, it refers to independent professional activity. If people are talking about families, places, or communities, it is about a fixed residence.
Mein Hausarzt ist schon seit 20 Jahren hier niedergelassen.
My family doctor has been in private practice here for 20 years.
In the professional sense, the word is almost always combined with liberal professions. Typical phrases are 'niedergelassener Arzt' (doctor in private practice), 'niedergelassene Anwältin' (lawyer in private practice), or 'niedergelassener Therapeut' (therapist in private practice).
Es ist nicht einfach, einen Termin bei einem niedergelassenen Facharzt zu bekommen.
It is not easy to get an appointment with a specialist in private practice.
In the meaning 'angesiedelt' (settled), the word is often used together with an indication of time or place that emphasizes its permanent character, e.g. 'seit Langem hier niedergelassen' (settled here for a long time).
Die in der Region niedergelassenen Handwerksbetriebe sind für ihre Qualität bekannt.
The craft businesses settled in the region are known for their quality.
self-employed / independent
Selbstständig generally describes the employment status of someone who works on their own account. Niedergelassen is narrower and is used especially for doctors, lawyers, or therapists who have their own practice. A niedergelassener Arzt is therefore self-employed, but selbstständig on its own says nothing about having one’s own practice.
Die Ärztin ist niedergelassen und behandelt ihre Patienten in ihrer eigenen Praxis.
The doctor is in private practice and treats her patients at her own practice.
Die Ärztin arbeitet selbstständig und übernimmt gelegentlich Vertretungen in verschiedenen Praxen.
The doctor is self-employed and occasionally fills in at various practices.
