Synonym Chooser

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 Senior services support Senior services and aging-in-place support are rapidly growing industries driven by an aging population that wants to remain independent. Melissa Houston, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2025 The California Department of Justice (DOJ) was subsequently notified and responded to the scene to conduct an independent investigation. Shania Russell, EW.com, 20 Apr. 2025 The long journey from independent ball has led him to pitching for the Yankees as one of MLB’s best relievers in the early season. Chris Kirschner, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2025 As recently as last spring, polls showed that almost half the population of Catalonia would choose to be independent from the rest of Spain. Coke Bartrina, Travel + Leisure, 15 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for independent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for independent
Adjective
  • Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark, and so are the Faroe Islands.
    Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 21 Apr. 2025
  • As experts have warned, autonomous AI agents tasked with optimizing in competitive environments may behave unpredictably—gaming systems, exploiting loopholes, and pursuing goals that deviate from human intent.
    Nizan Geslevich Packin, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Instead, the judge gave weight to testimony from his family that a separate gang called Barrio 18 in El Salvador had threatened Abrego Garcia with death because his family would not pay the gang protection money.
    Brian Bennett, Time, 18 Apr. 2025
  • The gym murder case in the episode is very much separate from everything else going on with Olympia and Matty’s story.
    Jim Halterman, Variety, 18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Led by 28-year olds Frederic Boesel and Jonas Muller—along with their over 30 cofounders—the company is positioning itself to be a big mover in AI, making the base models underpinning powerful image generation widely accessible.
    Thomas Brewster, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
  • The formula combines powerful but gentle ingredients like tranexamic acid, kojic acid, and niacinamide to tackle dark spots, acne scars, and uneven tone.
    Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • In January, BlackRock chief executive Larry Fink revealed he’s had discussions with sovereign wealth funds about buying bitcoin and predicted such conversations could catapult the bitcoin price to $700,000 per bitcoin.
    Billy Bambrough, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2025
  • Limited partners are institutional funds — for example, pension funds, sovereign wealth funds or hedge funds — that put money into venture funds.
    Natasha Turak, CNBC, 17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Trump has frequently quipped that the US doesn’t need to import items like lumber, cars and oil, claiming that natural resources and manufacturing potential are plentiful enough domestically for America to be self-sufficient.
    Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Create spaces where connections can continue after a patient is self-sufficient and released from care, enabling them to stay connected with a trusted team and/or circle of support.
    Sharron van der Meulen, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Indeed, as geopolitical tensions have driven the West to gradually decouple from China in recent years, Beijing has adapted to the resulting economic slowdown by prioritizing domestic consumption and making the economy more self-reliant in key sectors.
    Linggong Kong, The Conversation, 25 Mar. 2025
  • What Canadians need, though, is a leader who's tough and firm and stands by his convictions, a leader who will make Canada strong, self-reliant and stand on its own two feet, a leader who will put Canada first.
    Kevin Sabet, Newsweek, 24 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • In addition to its momentum and self-sustaining nature, drive has another advantage over motivation: It can be developed and strengthened over time.
    Ryan McGrath, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2023
  • Significantly, some states had self-sustaining populations of wild turkeys that could serve as seed stock.
    Paul A. Smith, Journal Sentinel, 16 Mar. 2023
Adjective
  • The problem for the Ducks is that free agency looks to be a depressed market after Mitch Marner, and that’s if the Toronto Maple Leafs star makes it to July 1.
    Eric Stephens, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2025
  • All three services have free tiers with similar features, though RingCentral Video supports slightly longer meetings.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 20 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Independent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/independent. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.

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