independence
noun
Also the state or quality of being independent.
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independence
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Independence
Independencenouna city in W Missouri: starting point of the Santa Fe and Oregon trails.
independence
1 American
[in-di-pen-duhns]
/ ˌɪn dɪˈpɛn dəns /
noun
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independence
plural
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Also the state or quality of being independent.
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freedom from the control, influence, support, aid, or the like, of others.
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Archaic. a competency.
Independence
2
American
[in-di-pen-duhns]
/ ˌɪn dɪˈpɛn dəns /
noun
-
a city in W Missouri: starting point of the Santa Fe and Oregon trails.
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a town in SE Kansas.
Independence
1
British
/ ˌɪndɪˈpɛndəns /
noun
independence
2
British
/ ˌɪndɪˈpɛndəns /
noun
Independence
Cultural
Synonym Usage
See freedom.
Discover More
Beginning of the Santa Fe Trail, used by settlers moving west.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of independence
First recorded in 1630–40; independ(ent) + -ence
Explanation
Independence is the state of being free of the control of some other person, country or entity. Revolutions are all about obtaining independence, most famously perhaps the Revolutionary War in America, which led to America's freedom from Britain. Independence comes from a nice medieval French word, depenre, meaning "to hang from," or "to hang down." The in at the beginning is Latin for "not," so the word originally meant "not hanging from," which is a neat description of what countries achieve by throwing off their colonizers. Teenagers also commonly seek independence from their parents — but perhaps not financial independence.
Vocabulary lists containing independence
The American Revolution - Introductory
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Eastern Europe - Introductory
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Pacific Islands - Introductory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Economic warfare exacerbates the trend toward deglobalization or “slow-balization,” with countries re-siting production onshore for reasons of sovereignty, independence and domestic employment.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 4, 2026
Fiercely protective of its independence, Hugging Face long turned down several stake purchases and takeover offers before reaching a deal with Nvidia, chosen for its commitment to developing the "open" ecosystem.
From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026
Council leader Fran Belbin said it would help families with the cost of living and give thousands of young people greater independence.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
Complicating security concerns was Israel’s decision in December to recognize the independence of Somaliland, a region within the northwest of Somalia’s acknowledged borders that declared itself a separate country in 1991.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
Amy’s definition of Jo’s idea of independence was such a good hit that both burst out laughing, and the discussion took a more amiable turn.
From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott
The Department for Communities say "any reform of Personal Independence Payment must ensure there is effective support available to those living with a disability".
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
Most accounts of the American Revolution skate right over the ill-fated invasion of Quebec in 1775, months before the Declaration of Independence.
From Salon ● Aug. 31, 2026
Later, a tour guide brings them through Independence Hall.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
He expressed frustration with a perceived lag in the arrival of aid while the nation celebrated Independence Day with pomp and ceremony in the capital Jakarta.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
They bounced their babies on their hips and said, Á bu, well then, ayi, the Independence.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
