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

• anchor
• dependance
• backbone
• dependence
• pillar
• crutch

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

Wilson argued the Charlotte attack resulted from several failures, from lax ticket enforcement to reliance on private security, rather than policies from Cooper’s tenure. —Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 11 Sep. 2025

By seeding the market with TPU alternatives, Google can pressure Nvidia's pricing power and reduce reliance on expensive Nvidia hardware. —Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025

And yet, this same reliance on sound that makes their communication so spectacular, leaves them especially vulnerable to anthropogenic noise intruding into their environment. —Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 11 Sep. 2025

Microsoft is breaking from its deep reliance on OpenAI by bringing Anthropic’s Claude models into Office 365, according to The Information, marking its biggest move yet to diversify AI providers. —Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 11 Sep. 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