INDEPENDENT Synonyms: 60 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'independent' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of independent are autonomous , free , and sovereign . While all these words mean "not subject to the rule or control of another," independent implies a standing alone; applied to a state it implies lack of connection with any other having power to interfere with its citizens, laws, or policies. // the colony's struggle to become independent

Q: Where would 'autonomous' be a reasonable alternative to 'independent'?

Although the words autonomous and independent have much in common, autonomous stresses independence in matters pertaining to self-government. // in this denomination each congregation is regarded as autonomous

Q: When can 'free' be used instead of 'independent'?

While in some cases nearly identical to independent , free stresses the complete absence of external rule and the full right to make all of one's own decisions. // you're free to do as you like

Q: When could 'sovereign' be used to replace 'independent'?

The synonyms sovereign and independent are sometimes interchangeable, but sovereign stresses the absence of a superior power and implies supremacy within a thing's own domain or sphere. // separate and sovereign armed services

independent

adjective

ˌin-də-ˈpen-dənt

Definition of independent

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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How does the adjective independent contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of independent are autonomous, free, and sovereign. While all these words mean "not subject to the rule or control of another," independent implies a standing alone; applied to a state it implies lack of connection with any other having power to interfere with its citizens, laws, or policies.

the colony's struggle to become independent

Where would autonomous be a reasonable alternative to independent?

Although the words autonomous and independent have much in common, autonomous stresses independence in matters pertaining to self-government.

in this denomination each congregation is regarded as autonomous

When can free be used instead of independent?

While in some cases nearly identical to independent, free stresses the complete absence of external rule and the full right to make all of one's own decisions.

you're free to do as you like

When could sovereign be used to replace independent?

The synonyms sovereign and independent are sometimes interchangeable, but sovereign stresses the absence of a superior power and implies supremacy within a thing's own domain or sphere.

separate and sovereign armed services

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 Israeli military jeeps passed through but did not attempt to control the masked men, said Ziv, an independent Israeli journalist. — Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026 It was later sold and then became the very first hotel in Marriott’s independent boutique Tribute Portfolio. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Oct. 2026 Jasper Nathaniel, an independent journalist who helped Levine escape the attack, said that Levine also had cracked ribs, and may have been stabbed. — Cameron Peters, Vox, 16 Oct. 2026 And Ibrahim El-Battout, one of the godfathers of independent cinema in Egypt, is also a co-producer. — Jay Weissberg, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for independent

Recent Examples of Synonyms for independent

Adjective

Instead, the test showed how a human could direct a semi-autonomous platform while its software handled the details of executing instructions.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
Holland was ousted in 2020, when Sarandos combined English-language and international content under Bajaria (elevating the latter to the largest autonomous content job in the streamer’s history).

— Matt Donnelly, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of autonomous

Adjective

About 90% of the investor base of the company, including Larry Ellison, the Oracle billionaire and father of Skydance CEO David Ellison, as well as RedBird Capital, Middle East sovereign wealth funds and other backers, did not receive the warrants.

— Dade Hayes, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026
Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund isn’t slowing its dealmaking, a senior executive said, even as the Iran war gutted the state’s revenue by 42% in the first half of the year.

— Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of sovereign

Adjective

Pacific Fusion also aims to create a fusion reaction an order of magnitude more powerful than those at the national lab facilities.

— Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Zuckerberg and Wang want Muse Wonder and the more powerful Muse Wonder Full to drive Muse, Meta’s personal AI agent, which can act on people’s behalf.

— Molly A. Wallace, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of powerful

Adjective

Corniel’s new settlement does not resolve separate wrongful death claims brought on behalf of Drakeo’s young son, Caiden Caldwell, by the child’s guardian.

— Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 15 Oct. 2026
Matt Schnaars, president of platform distribution and partnerships for NBCUniversal, reinforced Shapiro’s observations in a separate session.

— Leo Barraclough, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of separate

Adjective

Instead, the island became self-sufficient, with the majority of residents managing their own farmland, with the island still bearing its patchwork quilt of stone walls and boundary lines.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
In general, the Strengthening Institutions Program seeks to help schools become self-sufficient and expand their capacity to serve low-income students.

— Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of self-sufficient

Adjective

His wife had grown up in neighboring Jeonju, one of South Korea’s great food cities, and the politics of the province—historically self-reliant and left-wing—agreed with him.

— E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Pickpocketing is a safety concern for all tourists, but especially for solo travelers, who have to be completely self-reliant throughout their journey.

— Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 20 Sep. 2026

Definition of self-reliant

Adjective

Your best chance of spotting a whooping crane is along the Texas coast, where the world’s only self-sustaining wild population returns each winter after migrating from Canada.

— Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 June 2026
Feral populations spring up as result of these self-sustaining domestic animals fending for themselves.

— Madeline Gunderson, USA Today, 17 June 2026

Definition of self-sustaining

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independency

independent

independently

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“Independent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/independent. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of independent

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