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• independence
  independence

  noun

  Also the state or quality of being independent.
• Independence
  Independence

  noun

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

independence

¹ American  

[in-di-pen-duhns] / ˌɪn dɪˈpɛn dəns /

noun

• independence
  plural

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.

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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.

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Independence ¹ 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)

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independence ² British  

/ ˌɪndɪˈpɛndəns /

noun

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

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Independence Cultural  

1. City in western Missouri.

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Synonym Usage

See freedom.

Discover More

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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• independence
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

independence Independence

Sheriff Kyle Bourgault said ending the agreement would put public safety at risk and defended the independence of the sheriff’s office.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

And Owens’ independence from a bigger organization is appealing to her.

From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026

Phillips added that Parton was emblematic of the very values America was built upon and still holds dear, namely "independence" and "freedom to do what you want".

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026

Wagoner fought and threatened, and finally, Parton wrote a song as a way to help him understand both her gratitude and her need for independence, “I Will Always Love You.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026

Try not to sing too loudly while the class is repeating each phrase; strive for singing independence among students.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

In his Independence Day speech in 2022, Modi called on Indians to fight misogyny.

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026

Later, a tour guide brings them through Independence Hall.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

Bright white flags of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan have been installed this week across the capital Kabul, where new murals declare: "Independence is a sign of dignity, pride and identity".

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

Aug. 2 marked 250 years since John Adams signed the Declaration of Independence.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

Independence Day morning, Mr. Whiskers tickled me awake with a lick of his sandpaper tongue.

From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson

Related Words

• ability
• autonomy
• self-determination
• self-government
• self-reliance
• self-rule
• self-sufficiency
• separation
• sovereignty