as in dependence
the quality or state of needing something or someone
she was concerned about his heavy dependency on coffee to get him moving in the morning
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of dependency
His mental health has severely deteriorated, his financial situation is terrible, and his drug dependency is at its worst.
—
Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2026
The developer just adds it to their dependencies and calls a function to wrap the key.
—Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 23 Apr. 2026
The level of dependency on sources can be differentiated according to the stages of news production.
—Florian Wintterlin, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Apr. 2026
Cutting educational, recreational, arts and youth development activities not only diminishes quality of life but may also lead to juvenile delinquency, justice system involvement or dependency on government assistance.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dependency
Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2026
The developer just adds it to their dependencies and calls a function to wrap the key.
—Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 23 Apr. 2026
The level of dependency on sources can be differentiated according to the stages of news production.
—Florian Wintterlin, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Apr. 2026
Cutting educational, recreational, arts and youth development activities not only diminishes quality of life but may also lead to juvenile delinquency, justice system involvement or dependency on government assistance.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dependency
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dependency
Noun
-
Trump’s first term was marked—and, in the view of those closest to him, limited—by its dependence on Administration officials who were, at best, skeptical of his aims.—
Benjamin Wallace-Wells,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2026
-
High oil prices strengthen the case for renewable energy and reduce dependence on volatile supply routes.—
Fabiano Maisonnave,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But critics say widespread reliance comes with health and environmental risks, as long-term exposure has been linked to cancer and other chronic diseases.—
Christiana Freitag,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
-
At the same time, firms are reducing their reliance on external labor.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dependency.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dependency. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
