overreliance
noun
over·re·li·ance
ˌō-vər-ri-ˈlī-ən(t)s 
: the act or state of relying on something or someone too much : excessive reliance
One of my top priorities next year is to have an energy policy that begins to address all facets of our overreliance on fossil fuels.—
Barack Obama
Barack ObamaI shy away from prescribing sleeping pills … to avoid overreliance on them.—Andrew Weil
Andrew Weil
Examples of overreliance in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
States and the federal government need to substantially increase investments in community risk reduction, home fortification and loss mitigation, and develop strategies to reduce insurers’ overreliance on unregulated, global reinsurance.
—USA TODAY, 13 Mar. 2024
The Ohio Supreme Court in 1997 found unconstitutional the overreliance of school districts on property taxes.
—Scott Wartman, The Enquirer, 31 Jan. 2024
The overreliance on credit cards and the accompanying increase in consumer debt are consequences of our fiat money system.
—Ron Paul, Orange County Register, 5 Mar. 2024
But without moderation, an overreliance on the feel-good chemical hit could be the factor that leads to an increase in water intake and overhydration.
—Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 18 Feb. 2024
In fields like customer service and health care, industry experts warn that overreliance on ChatGPT could mean a loss of human connection and empathy that some fields still need to foster.
—Sunny Nagpaul, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2024
But with new opportunities comes a new danger: overreliance on constant-stare technology could create bad habits.
—David Zikusoka, Foreign Affairs, 2 Feb. 2024
Raman is concerned about the current overreliance on foreign donors such as Gavi and UNICEF to provide vaccine supplies.
—David Cox, WIRED, 22 Jan. 2024
The California 2022 heatwave caused similar blackouts, largely due to the state electric grid’s overreliance on unreliable green energy in a time of record energy demand.
—Andrew Follett, National Review, 21 Jan. 2024
USA TODAY, 13 Mar. 2024
The Ohio Supreme Court in 1997 found unconstitutional the overreliance of school districts on property taxes.
—Scott Wartman, The Enquirer, 31 Jan. 2024
The overreliance on credit cards and the accompanying increase in consumer debt are consequences of our fiat money system.
—Ron Paul, Orange County Register, 5 Mar. 2024
But without moderation, an overreliance on the feel-good chemical hit could be the factor that leads to an increase in water intake and overhydration.
—Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 18 Feb. 2024
In fields like customer service and health care, industry experts warn that overreliance on ChatGPT could mean a loss of human connection and empathy that some fields still need to foster.
—Sunny Nagpaul, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2024
But with new opportunities comes a new danger: overreliance on constant-stare technology could create bad habits.
—David Zikusoka, Foreign Affairs, 2 Feb. 2024
Raman is concerned about the current overreliance on foreign donors such as Gavi and UNICEF to provide vaccine supplies.
—David Cox, WIRED, 22 Jan. 2024
The California 2022 heatwave caused similar blackouts, largely due to the state electric grid’s overreliance on unreliable green energy in a time of record energy demand.
—Andrew Follett, National Review, 21 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'overreliance.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1833, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near overreliance
Cite this Entry
“Overreliance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overreliance. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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