reliant
Americanadjective
-
having or showing dependence.
reliant on money from home.
-
confident; trustful.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of reliant
Explanation
To be reliant is to depend on someone or something. When you're reliant on a person, you need that person. There are a lot ways people and things can be reliant. Kids are reliant on their parents for food and shelter. We're all reliant on the police to keep us safe, but the police are reliant on the government for funding. Being reliant is about being dependent. If you can do without something, you're not reliant on it. When you feel like you don't need other people, you can say you're self-reliant.
Vocabulary lists containing reliant
Catching Fire
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The World Is Flat
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Essential Question Vocabulary (Unit 2)
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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.
"All our aspirations on digital growth are reliant on the assumption of readily available energy, but that is not growing in line with the exponential growth of AI."
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
The battlefield efficacy in Ukraine of drones powered by software and AI has more recently helped trigger a spending spree by a U.S. military still largely reliant on the weapons of yesterday’s wars.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
Nick Weaver from Claverdon, Warwickshire, has also been outlining the experience of those whose more remote location sees them reliant on the alternative fuel source.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
A years-long crisis in the property sector and a persistent slump in domestic spending have left leaders reliant on exports to meet growth targets.
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026
He was elected, the rest were county employees whose job status was not reliant on elections.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
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.
