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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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
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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
Related Words
See freedom.
Discover More
Beginning of the Santa Fe Trail, used by settlers moving west.
Other Word Forms
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.
"I have never relinquished my convictions, my freedom of thought or my independence."
From Barron's • May 20, 2026
The least affordable housing market in decades has turned a milestone of independence into a family affair.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026
"I have never relinquished my convictions, my freedom of thought, or my independence."
From Barron's • May 20, 2026
He insisted that his government was ready to deliver "ambitious, practical" plans to move towards independence.
From BBC • May 19, 2026
The end of the separatists’ war for independence from Britain led to a new set of circumstances for Indigenous peoples.
From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
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.
