indie

American  

[in-dee] / ˈɪn di /

noun

1. an independently or privately owned business, especially a film or music company that is not affiliated with a larger and more commercial company.

   to work for an indie.

2. a movie or other work produced by such a company.

3. a genre of music, especially pop or rock, that is independently produced.

4. a person who works for an independently owned business or is self-employed.

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adjective

1. noting or relating to an indie.

   an indie film producer;

   an indie video game.

2. noting or relating to independently produced music.

   indie rock;

   an indie pop group.

indie British  

/ ˈɪndɪ /

noun

1. informal

   1. an independent film or record company

   2. ( as modifier )

      an indie producer

      the indie charts

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Etymology

Origin of indie

First recorded in 1940–45; ind(ependent) + -ie

Explanation

An indie band makes music on their own or on a very small record company, not with a large recording label. Your favorite indie group probably makes most of its money from touring, rather than by selling its music online. Pop musicians who record songs independently of major labels are indie, and indie filmmakers work with small budgets and unknown actors, rather than large, well-funded film companies. The adjective is also sometimes used simply to mean "simple," "not commercial," or "outside of the mainstream." Indie, a shortened form of independent, has been around since about 1920, originally referring to movies, and by 1945 it was also used for music labels.

Example Sentences

Rival retailers were initially relieved when they saw Barnes & Noble begin to improve, in part because they admired Daunt’s personal start as an indie bookseller.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 10, 2026

Sunday closes out the weekend with singer-songwriter James Taylor at the top of the lineup, alongside rock singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow, indie pop band Peach Pit and indie rock band My Morning Jacket.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026

New England singer-songwriter Noah Kahan grew up on the more acoustic end of 2000s indie rock, and you can recognize that influence in his work.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

"As indie developers, we're used to working with smaller budgets, so the newly proposed grants look really generous from our perspective," he says.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

There’s a little indie bookstore with tall, arched windows, a grocery co-op on the corner, and two guys walking down the sidewalk, holding hands.

From "Leah on the Offbeat" by Becky Albertalli