reliance

[ri-lahy-uhns]

noun

1. confident or trustful dependence.

   Synonyms: assurance, faith, trust, confidence

2. confidence.

3. something or someone relied on.

reliance

/ rɪˈlaɪəns /

noun

1. dependence, confidence, or trust

2. something or someone upon which one relies

Other Word Forms

• misreliance noun
• nonreliance noun
• overreliance noun
• superreliance noun
• reliant adjective
• reliantly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of reliance¹

First recorded in 1600–10; rely + -ance

Example Sentences

Pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, has been used for over a decade to prevent HIV, but its reliance on a daily pill has limited its impact on global infections.

Read more on Barron's

Fulnecky’s reliance on personal ideology rather than scholarly reasoning has drawn attention as a potential academic concern beyond the free-speech debate.

Read more on Salon

Cranach's work drew on medieval mapping traditions where Israel appeared as long, narrow strips of land, reflecting earlier reliance on the 1st century AD Jewish historian Josephus, who simplified conflicting biblical descriptions.

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And this week he said Zambia's generation capacity had been "decapitated" by a recent drought owing to its reliance on hydroelectricity.

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The outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, which also predicted the weakest holiday season for retail hiring in more than 15 years, said tariffs, inflation and reliance on automation are dampening demand for seasonal hires.

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Related Words

• dependence