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American War of Independence

American War of Independence

1 4.6
A war from 1775 to 1783 when the American colonies won freedom from Britain
  • noun
  • /əˈmɛrɪkən wɔr əv ɪnˈdɪpəˌdɛns/
translation icon : Guerra de Independencia Americana
  • Many historians agree that the American War of Independence fundamentally changed the course of history in the Western world.

Examples

  • During the American War of Independence, the colonies united to challenge Great Britain for their independence and sovereignty.

  • Whether intentionally or not, the American War of Independence follows the Calvinist approach fairly closely.

    Blog text (29)
  • The American War of Independence provides an excellent early study of a military dispute in which an organized tactical campaign was conducted as a crucial feature of the war.

    Academic text (2000)
  • As Alan Forrest notes, the financial crisis caused by the French involvement in the American War of Independence was the trigger of the revolution (13), and this manga explains the process accurately.

    Academic text (2014)
  • From Pope Gregory, through the American War of Independence and the atrocity fabrications of the First World War, to the totalitarian pseudo-environments of the Second World War, through these campaigns, the modern story of propaganda in warfare has emerged.

    Academic text (2000)
  • Sierra Leone started out as a colony under British auspices in 1787, serving as a refuge for homeless black people from the streets of London (many of them veterans of the wrong side of the American War of Independence).

    Academic text (2005)
  • The American War of Independence lasted from 1775 to 1783 as the colonies fought for freedom from British rule.

Synonyms

Revolutionary War
vsAmerican War of Independence
24 3.7

A war from 1775 to 1783 when thirteen American colonies fought Britain for independence

is the same historical event but expressed with broader wording
American Revolution
vsAmerican War of Independence
23 2.7

A war from 1775 to 1783 when thirteen colonies fought Britain and formed the United States

focuses on the conflict itself rather than its political result
American Revolutionary War
vsAmerican War of Independence
1 3.4

A war from 1775 to 1783 when the American colonies fought to become independent from Britain

gives an equivalent, slightly more general description of the event
War of American Independence
vsAmerican War of Independence
3.9

A war from 1775 to 1783 when thirteen American colonies fought Britain to become the United States

is the same conflict described more simply without outcome detail

Surface Forms

Morphology

American + war + of + independence

The phrase is fully compositional: 'war' (armed conflict) + 'of independence' (a conflict aiming to achieve independence) with 'American' specifying which war. This 'war of independence' structure is cross-linguistically common and follows normal noun-modifier patterns, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words will readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

American War of Independence comes from the simple story that the American colonies fought a war to win 'independence' from Britain. That's why the name refers to the conflict from 1775 to 1783 when the colonies became independent.