semi-independent

American

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

adjective

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

Other Word Forms

semi-independently

adverb

Etymology

Origin of semi-independent

First recorded in 1855–60

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.

Meta launched the oversight board in 2020 as a semi-independent group providing supervision of content moderation decisions across its platforms, which include Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.

From BBC • Mar. 10, 2026

Since 1887, Congress has created semi-independent boards, commissions and agencies with regulatory duties.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 5, 2025

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

The Nizam is of course semi-independent, but the British Government exercises the ultimate control.

From Fifty-One Years of Victorian Life by Child-Villiers, Margaret Elizabeth Leigh

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023