in ‧ de ‧ pen ‧ dence W2 /ˌɪndəˈpendəns, ˌɪndɪˈpendəns/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable]
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ dependant , ↑ dependence ≠ ↑ independence , ↑ dependency ; adverb : ↑ dependably , ↑ independently ; adjective : ↑ dependable , ↑ dependent ≠ ↑ independent ; verb : ↑ depend ]
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ independence , independent; adverb : ↑ independently ; adjective : ↑ independent ]
1 . political freedom from control by the government of another country
independence from
Nigeria gained independence from Britain in 1960.
2 . the time when a country becomes politically independent:
The country has made great advances since independence.
3 . the freedom and ability to make your own decisions in life, without having to ask other people for permission, help, or money:
ways of helping old people maintain their independence
Having a job gives you financial independence.
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COLLOCATIONS (for Meanings 1 & 2)
■ adjectives
▪ full/complete independence
The country gained complete independence from Britain in the 1960s.
▪ political/economic independence
Zambia achieved political independence without a prolonged conflict.
▪ national independence
The struggle for national independence lasted over 20 years.
▪ local independence
The new constitution aims to strengthen local independence.
■ verbs
▪ get independence
The country eventually got its independence in 1960.
▪ gain/achieve/win independence (=get independence)
Our aim was to achieve full independence.
▪ declare independence
Estonia declared independence on August 20th.
▪ grant something independence (=allow a country to become independent)
It was General de Gaulle who granted Algeria independence.
▪ bring independence to something
The rebels fought to bring independence to East Africa.
▪ move towards independence (=gradually achieve it over a period of time)
The country was slowly moving towards independence.
■ independence + NOUN
▪ Independence Day (=a day on which a country's independence is celebrated)
The president was on television giving his Independence Day speech.
▪ independence celebrations
The region is preparing for Monday's independence celebrations.
■ phrases
▪ the struggle for independence
The struggle for independence continued for three decades.