Independence Day

noun

: a civil holiday for the celebration of the anniversary of the beginnings of national independence

specifically : July 4 observed as a legal holiday in the U.S. in commemoration of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776

Examples of Independence Day in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Nantucket’s town/county government is still scheduled to hold its Independence Day festivities, with a fireworks display capping off the day-long celebration. —Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 30 May 2026

Tiara Kittelberger is the new Miss Bel Air Independence Day, and Evelyn Brush is the inaugural Miss Bel Air Teen 2026, the Bel Air Independence Day Committee recently announced. —Aegis, Baltimore Sun, 28 May 2026

The fireworks that had popped over the river on Independence Day were long gone. —Wyatt Williams, Harpers Magazine, 26 May 2026

The capital city’s typical Independence Day show lasts about 18 minutes and includes some 10,000 pyrotechnics. —Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 23 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1791, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for Independence Day

• euphorbiaceae
• aaa
• alleyway
• alumnae
• anime
• anyway
• arete
• attache
• axillae
• baa
• beaujolais
• bouvier

Kids Definition

Independence Day

noun

: a holiday celebrating the beginnings of a nation's independence

especially : July 4 observed as a legal holiday in the U.S. in honor of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776