overreliance

noun

over·​re·​li·​ance ˌō-vər-ri-ˈlī-ən(t)s How to pronounce overreliance (audio)
: 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Striking this balance prevents overreliance while still creating efficiency. Karpagam Narayanan, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025 The Dalai Lama, aware of his people’s overreliance on his personal leadership, began democratizing his government in the 1960s. Tenzin Dorjee, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2025 Tools like ChatGPT, which are being regularly updated to become more intelligent, can serve a purpose in helping students with their work, but there is a concern that overreliance could lead to problems. Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025 The results not only call into question a potential laziness developing as a result of an overreliance on AI, but also the changing relationship between medical practitioners and a longstanding tradition of analog training. Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for overreliance

Word History

First Known Use

1833, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of overreliance was in 1833

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Cite this Entry

“Overreliance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overreliance. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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