reliance
Americannoun
-
confident or trustful dependence.
- Synonyms:
- assurance, faith, trust, confidence
-
something or someone relied on.
noun
-
dependence, confidence, or trust
-
something or someone upon which one relies
Other Word Forms
- misreliance noun
- nonreliance noun
- overreliance noun
- reliant adjective
- reliantly adverb
- superreliance noun
Etymology
Origin of reliance
Explanation
The word reliance is the noun form of the verb rely, which means to depend. Your reliance on the Internet for your information will be your undoing, if the power ever goes out. A person's reliance on something is their dependence on it. A mime's reliance on silence is the key to his performance: if he speaks, he'll be ruined. Your reliance on the kindness of strangers makes sense when you consider that you'll never run out of strangers upon whom to rely. Too bad you can't just lean on the folks that you know.
Vocabulary lists containing reliance
Talk Like Shakespeare Day, List 7
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Space
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"Rosa Parks" by Nikki Giovanni
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Supporters argue that legalization decreases black-market activity, reducing consumers’ reliance on shady providers, creating a safer market while providing the government greater tax revenue and citizens greater freedom.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026
But with obesity rates continuing to climb, researchers are beginning to question whether this reliance on staple carbohydrates still makes sense in modern diets.
From Science Daily • Apr. 14, 2026
Recycled aluminum, for example, already plays a critical role in meeting U.S. demand, reducing reliance on energy-intensive primary production and helping manufacturers navigate volatile global markets.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026
Rigetti has drawn criticism on Wall Street over its reliance on federal funding to support ongoing research-and-development efforts, with some analysts arguing that Rigetti’s dependence on government contracts limits its near-term growth potential.
From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026
This reliance on popular wisdom and authority has downsides.
From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
