independence

noun

in·​de·​pen·​dence ˌin-də-ˈpen-dən(t)s How to pronounce independence (audio)
1
: the quality or state of being independent
2
archaic : competence sense 2

Examples of independence in a Sentence

She asserted her independence from her parents by getting her own apartment. He has shown a fierce independence of spirit. A month after independence, elections were held.
Recent Examples on the Web Super Micro Computer — Shares of the AI server maker lost 3%, building on their more than 38% week-to-date loss after disclosing that Ernst & Young had resigned as its auditor due to concerns over its accounting practices and the independence of its board. Samantha Subin, CNBC, 1 Nov. 2024 Countries that value monetary policy independence, fear capital flight in a crisis, and worry about destabilizing their domestic banks will strongly oppose the large-scale adoption of frictionless USD stablecoin accounts. Christian Catalini, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024 Trump opponents would view that as an attack on the Justice Department's historic independence. Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, 1 Nov. 2024 Trump has hinted at taking away some of the independence of the Federal Reserve, which could introduce further uncertainty surrounding the nation’s interest rates. Max Zahn, ABC News, 31 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for independence 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'independence.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1640, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of independence was in 1640

Dictionary Entries Near independence

independable

independence

Independence

Cite this Entry

“Independence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/independence. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

independence

noun
in·​de·​pen·​dence ˌin-də-ˈpen-dən(t)s How to pronounce independence (audio)
: the quality or state of being independent : freedom from outside control or support

Geographical Definition

Independence

geographical name

In·​de·​pen·​dence ˌin-də-ˈpen-dən(t)s How to pronounce Independence (audio)
city in western Missouri east of Kansas City population 116,830

More from Merriam-Webster on independence

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!