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

As Sargeant sees it, to recognize our mutual dependence is to mix more with our friends and neighbors, to ask for help and favors and reciprocate them freely, and to create a web of relationships that affirm our fundamental interdependence. —Anna Louie Sussman, The Atlantic, 7 Nov. 2025

Seen in this light, the document Dunlap printed on the night of July 4 was actually a declaration of interdependence. —Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025

Immersive and profoundly empathetic, THE TALE OF SILYAN is a cinematic and poetic reflection on the interdependence between humans and nature. —Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 24 Oct. 2025

Then, in May, US and Chinese officials further established the interdependence of trade by agreeing to lower tariffs on one another. —Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1817, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for interdependence

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