dependence

noun de·pen·dence \ di-ˈpen-dən(t)s \

variants: or less commonly dependance

Updated on: 24 Apr 2018

Definition of dependence

1 : the quality or state of being dependent; especially : the quality or state of being influenced or determined by or subject to another

2 : reliance, trust

3 : one that is relied on

4 a : drug addiction

developed a dependence on painkillers

b : habituation 2b

See dependence defined for English-language learners

See dependence defined for kids

Examples of dependence in a Sentence

The company was hurt by its dependence on government loans.
Our dependence upon foreign oil makes our economy vulnerable.
a harmful dependence on foreign oil

Recent Examples of dependence from the Web

On the other hand, the draining of the surrounding swamps led to significant subsidence, leaving some newly dry areas of the city as much as 10 feet below sea level, increasing the city's dependence on levees and Baldwin's pumps to stay dry.

— mike scott, NOLA.com, "For more than 100 years, his inventions have kept New Orleans dry(ish)," 19 Apr. 2018
The Seattle City Council also took action this week toward reducing dependence on cars.

— Scientific American, "To Meet Emissions Goals, Seattle Wants to Charge Drivers," 6 Apr. 2018
The kingdom, locked in a tussle for influence with Iran across the Middle East and beyond, is stepping up plans to develop a nuclear energy capability as part of a reform plan led by Prince Mohammed to reduce the economy’s dependence on oil.

— NBC News, "Saudi crown prince vows to develop nuclear bomb if Iran does," 15 Mar. 2018
The incident has brought into focus the computer industry’s utter dependence on Intel, which controls more than 90 percent of the market for laptop processors and has a near monopoly in server chips.

— ian king, The Seattle Times, "Intel’s response to chip meltdown deepens rift with Microsoft," 14 Jan. 2018
Those standards, established under the Obama Administration, were aimed at cutting greenhouse-gas emissions and reducing oil dependence.

— naomi fry, The New Yorker, "Scott Pruitt’s Dirty Politics," 3 Apr. 2017
People who are fearful, selfish, and willful turn to alcohol (and drugs); rid them of their deplorable personality and their dependence will follow.

— zachary siegel, WIRED, "Addiction Rehab is Broken. Can Technology Fix It?," 1 Apr. 2018
In January of last year, ibudilast showed preliminary signs of potential efficacy in meth dependence in another UCLA study released at that time.

— bradley j. fikes, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Medicinova drug to combat meth addiction fails to meet goal," 30 Mar. 2018
Both strictures are designed to remind these women of their dependence on the good graces of the American patriarchy, in very different ways.

— todd vanderwerff, Vox, "The Roseanne revival, and the argument over how TV depicts Trump supporters, explained," 30 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dependence.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of dependence

15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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dependence Synonyms

DEPENDENCE Defined for English Language Learners

dependence

noun

Definition of dependence for English Language Learners

: the state of needing something or someone else for support, help, etc.
: the state of being addicted to alcohol or a drug

DEPENDENCE Defined for Kids

dependence

noun de·pen·dence \ di-ˈpen-dəns \

Definition of dependence for Students

1 : a condition of being influenced and caused by something else

2 : a state of having to rely on someone or something

dependence on charity

3 : ²trust 1, reliance

4 : addiction to drugs or alcohol

Medical Dictionary

dependence

noun de·pen·dence \ di-ˈpen-dən(t)s \

medical Definition of dependence

1 : the quality or state of being dependent upon or unduly subject to the influence of another

2 a : drug addiction

b : habituation 2b

Learn More about dependence

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for dependence Spanish Central: Translation of dependence Nglish: Translation of dependence for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of dependence for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dependence

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dependence

Definition of dependence

Examples of dependence in a Sentence

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DEPENDENCE Defined for English Language Learners

dependence

Definition of dependence for English Language Learners

DEPENDENCE Defined for Kids

dependence

Definition of dependence for Students

Medical Dictionary

dependence

medical Definition of dependence

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