independence

¹ American  

[in-di-pen-duhns] / ˌɪn dɪˈpɛn dəns /

noun

1. Also the state or quality of being independent.

2. freedom from the control, influence, support, aid, or the like, of others.

3. Archaic. a competency.

---

Independence ² American  

[in-di-pen-duhns] / ˌɪn dɪˈpɛn dəns /

noun

1. a city in W Missouri: starting point of the Santa Fe and Oregon trails.

2. a town in SE Kansas.

---

Independence ¹ British  

/ ˌɪndɪˈpɛndəns /

noun

1. a city in W Missouri, near Kansas City: starting point for the Santa Fe, Oregon, and California Trails (1831–44). Pop: 112 079 (2003 est)

---

independence ² British  

/ ˌɪndɪˈpɛndəns /

noun

1. Also called: independency.  the state or quality of being independent

---

Independence Cultural  

1. City in western Missouri.

---

Related Words

See freedom.

Discover More

Beginning of the Santa Fe Trail, used by settlers moving west.

Other Word Forms

• interindependence noun
• postindependence adjective
• preindependence noun
• superindependence noun

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.

Example Sentences

The manifesto said that independence would allow the government to build a "fairer and more prosperous" country.

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026

If the goal is writerly independence, then drawing the red line at writing protects the independence of the final product far less than one might hope.

From Slate • Apr. 17, 2026

Prolonging the Justice Department’s investigation could delay Senate approval of his successor and revive investor angst over the central bank’s independence.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

The perceived loss of independence and control that accompanies moving into an assisted-living facility adds an additional layer of concern.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 15, 2026

Germany’s chief ally was Austria-Hungary, an unwieldy empire of several major religions and numerous languages and nationalities, including large numbers of Serbs who wanted to break away from the Austro-Hungarian Empire and declare their independence.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman

Related Words

• ability
• autonomy
• self-determination
• self-government
• self-reliance
• self-rule
• self-sufficiency
• separation
• sovereignty