1
as in autonomous
able to take care of oneself or itself without outside help
an independent young man who moved out of his parents' house while still a college student
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sovereign
not being under the rule or control of another
finally they are an independent people, after centuries of domination by their more powerful neighbors
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of independent
The statewide audit also noted reliance on internal DHS Office of Inspector General audits rather than a fully independent external review.
—
J.b. Jennings, Baltimore Sun, 22 Feb. 2026
The program not only provides nutrition for homebound seniors but helps mitigate elderly isolation and food insecurity, serves as a safety check and helps seniors stay independent in their homes.
—Wendy Coschignano-Ford, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Feb. 2026
Democratic leaders in California responded, putting forward a successful ballot measure to circumvent the state's independent redistricting commission and create five more favorable seats for Democrats.
—Ashley Lopez, NPR, 22 Feb. 2026
The entity was created as a part of Oakland County government years ago, but recently spun off as an independent, quasi-public agency.
—Dave Boucher, Freep.com, 22 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for independent
J.b. Jennings, Baltimore Sun, 22 Feb. 2026
The program not only provides nutrition for homebound seniors but helps mitigate elderly isolation and food insecurity, serves as a safety check and helps seniors stay independent in their homes.
—Wendy Coschignano-Ford, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Feb. 2026
Democratic leaders in California responded, putting forward a successful ballot measure to circumvent the state's independent redistricting commission and create five more favorable seats for Democrats.
—Ashley Lopez, NPR, 22 Feb. 2026
The entity was created as a part of Oakland County government years ago, but recently spun off as an independent, quasi-public agency.
—Dave Boucher, Freep.com, 22 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for independent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for independent
Adjective
-
Real-time robot vision Driven by labor shortages, demand for autonomous vehicles and mobile robots is increasing across logistics and smart mobility sectors.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Individuals are not autonomous decision makers but are inexorably linked.—
Krista Kafer,
Denver Post,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Launched two years ago, the startup aims to provide long-term investors — sovereign wealth funds, large family offices, and institutional asset managers — a more transparent way to manage liquidity, adjust exposure, and redeploy capital without relying on one-off bilateral deals.—
Kelsey Warner,
semafor.com,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Paramount’s bid also includes capital from the sovereign wealth funds of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Abu Dhabi.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
But like the British wartime leader who also led his country’s fight against a bigger, more powerful enemy, Zelensky has made missteps along the way and his future looks increasingly uncertain as the war grinds on.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
-
What a trigger warning presumes is that readers are entitled to be protected before the fact from the possibility of powerful emotion, an odd entitlement at best and one that is seldom afforded to any being in the course of the rest of life.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Alan Cumming briefly paused Sunday's BAFTA Film Awards on two separate occasions to address the expletives and racial slur that Tourette's syndrome advocate John Davidson yelled during the telecast, according to reports.—
Pamela Avila,
USA Today,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Hottovy pointed out that for years, things like PFPs, bullpens, time in the lab were all separate and not treated as workload.—
Sahadev Sharma,
New York Times,
22 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Deep, infrequent watering trains the grass to become more self-sufficient.—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
22 Feb. 2026
-
Most parents have high hopes for their children, aiming to raise self-sufficient individuals who can make thoughtful decisions and tackle life’s challenges independently.—
Jazmin Towe,
Parents,
22 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The spending is based on forecasts that imports will continue to grow faster than the US economy as a whole, and that Trump’s push to make America more self-reliant won’t change that.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Matthew Fox, the Golden Globe-winning star of Lost (2004–2010), will play Paul, who's characterized as an outdoorsman and self-reliant bachelor.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The film’s plot is inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy that Indians should be self-dependent to achieve their goals.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
7 Mar. 2023
Adjective
-
For this, researchers from China have developed various next-generation triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs), which offer a self-sustaining power solution for marine regions.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Aug. 2025
-
Leading to a self-sustaining economic loop where revenue generated from global-facing media products is reinvested directly into local wages, taxes, and services, fostering a stable foundation for multi-generational upward mobility.—
Stephanie Tharpe,
Forbes.com,
25 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Independent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/independent. Accessed 27 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
