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Synonyms

independence

1 American  
[in-di-pen-duhns] / ˌɪn dɪˈpɛn dəns /

noun

  1. Also the state or quality of being independent.

  2. freedom from the control, influence, support, aid, or the like, of others.

  3. Archaic. a competency.

Independence 2 American  
[in-di-pen-duhns] / ˌɪn dɪˈpɛn dəns /

noun

  1. a city in W Missouri: starting point of the Santa Fe and Oregon trails.

  2. a town in SE Kansas.

independence 1 British  
/ ˌɪndɪˈpɛndəns /

noun

  1. Also called: independency.  the state or quality of being independent

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Independence 2 British  
/ ˌɪndɪˈpɛndəns /

noun

  1. a city in W Missouri, near Kansas City: starting point for the Santa Fe, Oregon, and California Trails (1831–44). Pop: 112 079 (2003 est)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Independence Cultural  

  1. City in western Missouri.

Related Words

See freedom.

Discover More

Beginning of the Santa Fe Trail, used by settlers moving west.

Other Word Forms

  • interindependence noun
  • postindependence adjective
  • preindependence noun
  • superindependence noun

Etymology

Origin of independence

First recorded in 1630–40; independ(ent) + -ence

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.

An old Catalan independence flag hanging by its entrance flaps in the wind, and the sound of pigs grunting and squealing in the farm buildings can be heard in the distance.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

Then the couple walked down a famed boulevard named after the father of Cuban independence, José Martí, to the old building that houses Havana’s community center for Cubans of Arab descent.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026

Edna’s brother, Uri, died fighting with Israel in its 1948 war for independence.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

The acquisition has drawn criticism from across the tech world for the risk of betraying editorial independence.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026

Match instruments to students’ functional independence and enjoyment.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

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.