interdependence

noun

in·​ter·​de·​pen·​dence ˌin-tər-di-ˈpen-dən(t)s 

variants or interdependency

ˌin-tər-di-ˈpen-dən(t)-sē 

plural interdependences or interdependencies

1

: the state of being dependent upon one another : mutual dependence

interdependence of the two nations' economies

… a form of symbiosis, of close mutual interdependence of two species of organisms.

—Marston Bates

… the deep psychological interdependence between ourselves and those we love.

—Judith A. Savage

… understood the interdependence of mental, physical, and spiritual health.

—Donald N. Levine

But plants happen to grow in these little universes we call ecosystems, where they are sustained by complex webs of interdependency with fungi, microbes, animals, and other plants.

—Kenneth Brower

2

: a mutually dependent relationship

Growing global interdependencies further muddy the debate, making it harder to know who "we" are and what "our" national interests really are.

—Peter H. Schuck

There are complex interdependences among these factors …

—Victor H. Benenberg

Examples of interdependence in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Such thinking posits that everything depends on and is connected to everything else, and there is no art form that relies on interdependence more than film. — Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 2 Oct. 2026

Process interdependence concerns how much people’s workflows require them to work together. — Samuel Rodrigues, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026

Hitchcock believes that Roosevelt’s New Deal vision blended seamlessly with his war aims; both emphasized democracy, collective action, and global interdependence. — Beverly Gage, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026

Economic interdependence with Iran could anchor regional security, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari argued at the Concordia Annual Summit in New York. — Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 24 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1817, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for interdependence

• superintendence
• ascendance
• attendance
• dependance
• dependence
• transcendence
• tendance