codependency

American  

[koh-di-pen-duhn-see] / ˌkoʊ dɪˈpɛn dən si /

noun

• codependencies
  plural

1. 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.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• codependence
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• codependencies
  plural

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

codependency codependencies

When people have financial difficulties, they can become codependent — but that’s not your codependency, it’s his, and it takes two people to form an unhealthy bond.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 21, 2026

For years, my codependency and enmeshment kept me focused on making sure all my partner’s needs were met, so that, ideally, they might take care of me.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2025

When you’re busy falling in love, it’s easy not to see the line between romance and codependency thinning.

From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2025

“Self-disturbances” characterize conditions such as psychosis, depersonalization, borderline personality disorder, codependency, eating disorders and dissociation, among many others.

From Scientific American ● Jun. 14, 2023

Beneath this minor socioeconomic disparity lies a much deeper conflict in their friendship: codependency.

From New York Times ● Jun. 1, 2023

But in real life, he said, these couples are often based on codependencies.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 11, 2022

Concern: We continue to look at the partnership between federal government and states, and you know there are a lot of codependencies for very important programs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 2, 2017