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

See Examples For:

semi-independent

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

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

Together they control 89 seats in the 179-seat parliament and command a majority with the support of the four lawmakers representing the semi-independent Danish territories of Greenland and the Faeroe Islands.

From Washington Times ● May 30, 2023

The worship of the Sun, under the name of Mithra, "long survived in Rome, under the Christian emperors, and, doubtless, much longer in the remoter districts of the semi-independent provinces."

From Bible Myths and their Parallels in other Religions Being a Comparison of the Old and New Testament Myths and Miracles with those of the Heathen Nations of Antiquity Considering also their Origin and Meaning by T. W. Doane