# Indy

/ˈɪndi/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/indy
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. independent in arts/business

adjective · CEFR B2 · Informal

describes a film, band, or shop that is not owned by a large company.

For teachers: referring to an artist, production company, or business that operates without the financial backing of a major corporation.

- The city has a great indy cinema that shows foreign films.
- The director turned down a major studio deal to maintain creative control through an indy production house.

### 2. an independent person or company

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal

a person or company that works independently, especially in music or film.

For teachers: an entity, such as a record label or film studio, that is not affiliated with a major conglomerate.

- Many small indies are struggling to compete with the big streaming services.
- While the majors dominate the charts, the indies often provide the most innovative sounds in the underground scene.

### 3. a type of racing car

noun · CEFR C1 · American English · Technical

a fast car with an open top and one seat, used in races like the Indianapolis 500.

For teachers: a single-seat, open-cockpit racing car designed for competition on oval tracks or street circuits.

- He dreamed of driving an indy car in the big race one day.
- The engineering team spent months refining the aerodynamics of the indy car to handle the high-speed turns of the oval track.

### 4. a nickname for a place or person

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal · American English

a friendly name for the city of Indianapolis or the character Indiana Jones.

For teachers: a colloquial proper noun referring to the city of Indianapolis, Indiana, or the fictional character Indiana Jones.

- We are heading to Indy this weekend for the basketball tournament.
- Fans of the franchise often refer to the protagonist simply as Indy, celebrating his transition from professor to adventurer.

## Examples

- She prefers listening to indy rock bands.
- The festival showcases indy filmmakers who produce their own work without studio backing.
- The rise of streaming platforms has blurred the line between indy creators and major labels, allowing niche voices to reach global audiences with minimal overhead.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.