codependence

• a word derived from codependency.
  codependency

  noun

  an emotionally maladaptive pattern of behavior in which two people are overly reliant on one another, particularly in contexts where one person requires a high degree of support and the other feels defined by the support they give: the relationship between two such individuals.
• a word derived from codependent.
  codependent

  adjective

  of or relating to a relationship in which one person is physically or psychologically addicted, as to alcohol or gambling, and the other person is psychologically dependent on the first in an unhealthy way.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

codependence

If you give him one penny of your own money, it will open up a transactional codependence between you and this man, who is a virtual stranger.

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 25, 2026

It’s a reminder that what often looks like dominance in the global economy may instead be symptomatic of a pathological codependence.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 20, 2025

Like addiction, and codependence, and internalized misogyny, “I Could Live Here Forever” is a wrenching story that’s been lived and told before.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 5, 2023

So, too, in cooking for other people, could I supply that nurture, that codependence.

From Salon ● Oct. 9, 2022

But I needed to find the love and codependence that was there in this odd, specific relationship.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 1, 2022

More Suggestions

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• Independency
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• independency