semi-independent

American  

[sem-ee-in-di-pen-duhnt] / ˌsɛm iˌɪn dɪˈpɛn dənt /

adjective

1. (of a political entity) having substantial self-government in regard to local matters but subordinate in such external matters as foreign policy; semiautonomous.

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Other Word Forms

• semi-independently
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of semi-independent

First recorded in 1855–60

Example Sentences

Since 1887, when Congress created the Interstate Commerce Commission to regulate railroad rates, the government has had semi-independent boards and commissions led by a mix of Republicans and Democrats.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 1, 2026

By Monday morning, the Israel Defense Forces announced it would launch an investigation into the "circumstances of the deaths of civilians in the area of the strike," under the auspices of a semi-independent fact-finding body.

From Salon • May 27, 2024

Greenland is a semi-independent territory that is part of the Danish realm, as are the Faeroe Islands.

From Washington Times • Sep. 13, 2023

During apartheid, he was the chief minister of the KwaZulu Bantustan: a semi-independent territory allocated to the Zulu people by the country's white supremacist government.

From BBC • Sep. 9, 2023

The kingdom of Tebureimoa includes two islands, Great and Little Makin; some two thousand subjects pay him tribute, and two semi-independent chieftains do him qualified homage.

From The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition Vol. 18 (of 25) by Stevenson, Robert Louis