Meaning & use
indie company
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Meanings
nouncountableinformal
A small independent business, especially one in music, film, games, or fashion, not owned by a large corporation.
Grammar: Countable: use 'an indie company' for one and 'indie companies' for more than one.
Patterns
- an indie company
- work for an indie company
- set up an indie company
She left the big label to join an indie company that signs local bands.
The game was made by a tiny indie company of just four people.
Many indie companies struggle to compete with global brands.
nouncountableinformal
A small independent film or music production business, often known for creative, non-mainstream work.
Grammar: Often used with 'film' or 'record': an indie film company, an indie record company.
Patterns
- an indie film company
- an indie record company
The documentary was picked up by an indie film company in Berlin.
He runs an indie record company out of his basement.
Word forms
| plural | indie companies |
|---|
Common combinations
- small indie company
- A small indie company produced the award-winning animation.
- indie game company
- That indie game company became famous overnight.
- indie record label
- They released their first album on an indie record label.
- work for an indie company
- After graduation, he worked for an indie company in Brooklyn.
- set up an indie company
- She set up an indie company with two friends.
Synonyms and how they differ
- startup
- A startup is a new company, often in technology; an indie company is independent, but it may be old and not tech-focused.
- small business
- This is a general term for any small firm; an indie company specifically suggests a creative or non-corporate field.
- boutique firm
- A boutique firm is small and specialized, often in finance or law; an indie company is more about arts, media, or games.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: indie company or industry?
indie company vs industry
Industry means the whole business sector; an indie company is one small firm within it.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'indie company' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Indie company' means a small independent business, so founding one to publish comics fits. Option An is wrong because 'big' and 'indie' usually contrast; C is wrong because a government department is not independent; D is wrong because you cannot buy a company at a supermarket.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “indie company”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.