reliance

noun

re·​li·​ance ri-ˈlī-ən(t)s 

1

: the act of relying : the state of being reliant

2

: something or someone relied on

Synonyms of reliance

• anchor
• backbone
• dependence
• pillar

Examples of reliance in a Sentence

he's been the family's foremost reliance in times of trouble many times

a baby's reliance on her parents

Recent Examples on the Web

Citing national security to reduce foreign reliance, these measures are expected to significantly raise solar costs, potentially hindering the industry's rapid growth. — Ken Silverstein, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026

This gives your squad multiple routes to points while reducing reliance on clean sheets alone. — Abdul Rehman, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2026

The company said by reducing reliance on manual data entry and complex custom integrations, Arena Connect keeps critical cross-functional workflows, such as engineering change orders and quality management, automatically synchronized in real time. — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 11 Aug. 2026

China’s persistent reliance on food imports is a likely irritant to Xi, especially given recent global economic disruptions. — Caitlin Welsh, Foreign Affairs, 11 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1606, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing reliance

• self-reliance

Rhymes for reliance

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

Kids Definition

reliance

noun

re·​li·​ance ri-ˈlī-ən(t)s 

1

: the act of relying

2

: the condition or attitude of one who relies : dependence

3

: something or someone relied on

Legal Definition

reliance

noun

re·​li·​ance ri-ˈlī-əns 

1

: the act of relying

reliance on a promise

2

: reliance interest at interest 1