In epidemiology and research, the agent that incites a response; the stimulus (e.g., the dose part of a dose-response curve). In the smoking and heart disease study cited in the entry called dependent variable, smoking would be the independent variable.
variable
independent variable is a sample definition found in
Taber's Medical Dictionary, 21st Edition.
To find other Taber's Medical Dictionary topics
please login
or
purchase a subscription.
![[Top]](images/m/top.gif)
