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
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.
An additional adjustment was made for the Independence Day holiday. — Diana Olick, CNBC, 8 July 2026 An inmate who walked away from a Nevada County work camp on Independence Day was captured in Tijuana by Mexican authorities, said state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation officials on Monday. — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 7 July 2026 This year’s Independence Day — 250 years from the nation’s founding — granted the chance for Idaho to flaunt its wares. — Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 7 July 2026 Swift and Kelce reportedly spent Independence Day weekend in 2025 at Yellowstone Club, the ultra-exclusive, members-only community tucked into the mountains of Big Sky. — Bryan West, USA Today, 7 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for Independence Day

Word History

First Known Use

1791, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Independence Day was in 1791

Rhymes for Independence Day

See All Rhymes for Independence Day

Browse Nearby Words

Independence
Independence Day
independency
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Independence Day.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Independence%20Day. Accessed 14 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

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

More from Merriam-Webster on Independence Day

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Independence Day

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of yaw

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All