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

I shy away from prescribing sleeping pills … to avoid overreliance on them.

—Andrew Weil

Examples of overreliance in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The use of the platform has garnered pushback from community members concerned about the overreliance on technology in schools. — Laura Horne, Charlotte Observer, 22 June 2026

Chronic decision fatigue can show up as procrastination, avoidance, irritability, indecisiveness, emotional numbness, compulsive information gathering or an overreliance on consensus. — Bryan Robinson, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026

But when a substance becomes a requirement for managing the ordinary needs of caring for children, the line between beneficial use and overreliance can be hard to discern. — Sarah Levy, The Atlantic, 17 June 2026

Of course, challenges remain, including an overreliance on foreign players and a youth development system in need of work. — Terry Baddoo, USA Today, 14 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1833, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for overreliance

• geoscience
• neuroscience
• noncompliance
• pseudoscience
• appliance
• compliance
• defiance
• reliance
• science