light-independent
|light-in-de-pen-dent|
🇺🇸
/ˌlaɪt ɪnˈdɛpəndənt/
🇬🇧
/ˌlaɪt ɪnˈdɛp(ə)ndənt/
not needing light
Etymology
'light-independent' originates as a modern English compound of the words 'light' and 'independent'. 'light' originates from Old English 'līht' (from Proto-Germanic *leuhtam) where the root meant 'illumination' or 'brightness'; 'independent' originates from Latin 'independens' (via Anglo-French/Old French 'independant'/'indépendant'), where prefix 'in-' meant 'not' and the root related to Latin 'dependere' meaning 'to hang from, be governed by'.
'light' developed from Old English 'līht' into modern English 'light'; 'independent' came into English via Latin 'independens' and Old/Anglo-French into Middle English as 'independent', and the compound 'light-independent' arose in modern scientific English (19th–20th century) to describe processes that do not require light (e.g., 'light-independent reactions').
Initially the components meant 'illumination' (light) and 'not dependent' (independent). Over time the compound came to be used specifically to mean 'occurring without the need for light', especially in biological and photochemical contexts.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
not requiring light to occur or proceed; occurring independently of light. Commonly used in biology and photochemistry to describe reactions or processes (e.g., the Calvin cycle) that do not need light.
Many organisms carry out light-independent reactions to fix carbon in the absence of light.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/08/24 22:21