independence
noun
Also the state or quality of being independent.
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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:
These changes can make everyday activities more difficult and gradually reduce mobility and physical independence.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 4, 2026
He said Morocco would now have more room to push its autonomy proposal and shift negotiations away from a referendum on independence towards autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty.
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
Rules 5.4 and 5.6 aim to preserve lawyers’ independence and clients’ freedom to choose counsel.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026
The European Commission has urged progress on resolving the judicial impasse, while legal scholars, civil-society groups and political leaders continue to advocate reforms aimed at strengthening judicial independence.
From Barron's ● Nov. 1, 2026
His intent was to curb their independence by keeping a watchful eye on them.
From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple
He visited Independence Park in Georgetown to remember the Demerera Slave Rebellion of 1823, which saw an uprising by thousands of enslaved people.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
Optimism peaked around Independence Day, said McNally, who is a former energy adviser to President George W. Bush.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 29, 2026
Over the years, the magazine has ranked everything from Super Bowl halftime shows and horrible wedding songs to pre-YouTube viral hits and Declaration of Independence signatures.
From Slate ● Oct. 9, 2026
Stars twinkle in the sky above the Independence Monument in Kyiv’s main Maidan Square, a tall column topped by a statue of a woman in traditional Ukrainian dress.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026
Of all the original signers of the Declaration of Independence, “You are the youngest and the most energetic in mind and body,” and therefore most likely to be the final survivor.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
