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

The team received concerning news when Pro Bowl tight end Sam La Porta got injured, leading to even more reliance on guys like Gibbs to help carry the offensive load. —Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2025

While the restrictions have been temporarily paused, the White House has pushed to reduce its reliance on China, signing a deal with Saudi Arabia last week to jointly produce the minerals. —semafor.com, 27 Nov. 2025

Officials said that existing national systems limit model size and training speed, creating reliance on external private platforms. —Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 27 Nov. 2025

There are some similarities between the Bearcats and Cougars, starting with the heavy reliance on the quarterback in the run game. —Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1606, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing reliance

• self-reliance

Rhymes for reliance

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

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