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reliance

American  
[ri-lahy-uhns] / rɪˈlaɪ əns /

noun

  1. confident or trustful dependence.

    Synonyms:
    assurance, faith, trust, confidence
  2. confidence.

  3. something or someone relied on.


reliance British  
/ rɪˈlaɪəns /

noun

  1. dependence, confidence, or trust

  2. something or someone upon which one relies

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of reliance

First recorded in 1600–10; rely + -ance

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.

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Vocabulary lists containing reliance

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.

Jio Platforms, the telecom unit of billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries, has announced what analysts say could be one of India's biggest share sales.

From BBC • Jun. 19, 2026

Reliance told ProPublica that “the real estate project is real” and “remains under development.”

From Salon • Jun. 11, 2026

Mercer's "emerging markets" fund invested in Indian multinational Reliance Industries, according to holdings data from December 2025.

From Barron's • May 28, 2026

Reliance Industries owns the Jamnagar petrochemical complex in western India, a sprawling industrial facility described as the largest single-site crude oil refinery in the world.

From Barron's • May 28, 2026

The Lion and Reliance received thirty-two bags of pemmican, and two of grease, with sufficient arrow-root, &c., to make their supply proportionate to that of the eastern party.

From Narrative of a Second Expedition to the Shores of the Polar Sea by Franklin, John

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