independent
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independent
Describes a person, especially a politician or candidate, who does not belong to any political party.
Der neu gewählte Bürgermeister ist parteilos, wird aber von mehreren Fraktionen unterstützt.
The newly elected mayor is independent, but is supported by several parliamentary groups.
The word is made up of 'Partei' (party) and the suffix '-los' (-less). The suffix '-los' means 'without,' so 'parteilos' literally means 'without a party.'
Er tritt bei der Wahl als parteiloser Kandidat an.
He is running in the election as an independent candidate.
This adjective is almost always used in a political context. It typically describes nouns such as 'Kandidat' (candidate), 'Bürgermeister' (mayor), 'Abgeordneter' (member of parliament/representative), or 'Wähler' (voter).
Viele Bürger bevorzugen einen parteilosen Bürgermeister für ihre Stadt.
Many citizens prefer an independent mayor for their city.
'Parteilos' (independent) is very often used predicatively with the verb 'sein' (to be), or it appears as an attribute directly before a noun.
Die neue Ministerin ist parteilos.
The new minister is independent.
independent
'unabhängig' and 'parteilos' can both mean that someone is not tied to a political side. But 'parteilos' is more specific: it only says that a person does not belong to any political party. 'unabhängig' is broader and can mean that someone makes decisions freely, is not controlled, or remains objective. Learners may confuse the words because a 'parteiloser Kandidat' (independent candidate) is often also described as 'unabhängig'. Still, 'parteilos' is the more precise choice when it is only about membership in a political party.
Bei der Wahl tritt ein parteiloser Kandidat gegen die großen Parteien an.
In the election, an independent candidate is running against the major parties.
Die Journalistin arbeitet unabhängig und nimmt keine Geschenke von Firmen an.
The journalist works independently and does not accept gifts from companies.