Meanings
indie1
- not comparableIndependent; from outside the mainstream.
an indie pop group
2 more examples
an indie video game
You would hide away and find your peace of mind / With some indie record that’s much cooler than mine
2012, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”, in Red, performed by Taylor Swift
plural indies
- countableAn independent publisher.
He says Ninja Tune retains the master and publishing rights on most of its catalog, making it easy to license quickly. Yet as majors jump on the videogame bandwagon, he fears indies may lose that outlet.
2005 January 15, Billboard, volume 117, number 3, page 36 - uncountableentertainmentA type of rock music, generally soft-style without screaming or aggression, mixed with synthesized music and electronic.
- countableA person who listens to indie music and follows indie fashion.
Indie2
- alternativeAlternative form of Indy (“the Independent newspaper”).
Synonyms & antonyms
adjective(of pop groups) not affiliated with a major recording company
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
From independent, by shortening, + -ie. Used of popular music since the 1980s, and of cinema for some decades before that.
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with indie
All rhymes →Cite this entry
indie. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/indie
“indie.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/indie. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “indie,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/indie.
Source: indie on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.