DEPENDANCE Synonyms: 46 Similar and Opposite Words

dependence

noun

di-ˈpen-dən(t)s

variants also dependance

Definition of dependence

as in dependency

the quality or state of needing something or someone a baby's total dependence upon his or her parents for every one of life's needs

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in reliance

something or someone to which one looks for support ultimately rice became the chief dependence in that state

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in addiction

a physiological need for certain drugs acquired a dependence on prescription painkillers following back surgery

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 dependence The breadth of the outages highlighted the dependence on just a few providers for key computing services. — ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026 Kratom has gained popularity as an unapproved treatment for pain, anxiety and drug dependence. — Josh Feldman, NBC news, 23 Sep. 2026 Leaders are asking whether AI can help win more business, reduce dependence on outsourcing, accelerate decision-making or create a lasting competitive advantage. — Samir Dutta, Forbes.com, 23 Sep. 2026 Nicotine changes the brain Nicotine also leads to dependence through activation of brain reward pathways. — Hasmeena Kathuria, The Conversation, 22 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dependence

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dependence

Noun

Good work design therefore asks which dependencies improve the decision and which merely create waiting, meetings and escalation.

— Samuel Rodrigues, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026
And as this dependency has grown, so, too, have countries’ concerns about defending their assets in space.

— Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of dependency

Noun

Chinese tech giants DeepSeek and Huawei announced a partnership to develop semiconductor software, part of an array of efforts to reduce China’s reliance on US chipmakers and challenge American AI dominance.

— Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 1 Oct. 2026
The long-term care industry's reliance on tranquilizing medications has been a concern of Congress for half a century.

— Jordan Rau, NPR, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of reliance

Noun

That job is not easy, especially given the number of people with mental illness and addiction issues.

— Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
The latter—which perhaps pulls inspiration from the early addiction recovery phrase used to describe the honeymoon period of sobriety—details taking ownership of letting a romantic partner down.

— Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of addiction

Noun

Queer Eye’s Antoni Porowski, CBS news anchor Gayle King, East of Eden director Garth Davis as well as musician and Club Kid actor Jonah Almost were on site to toast Pugh and her crew.

— Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 30 Sep. 2026
The island also houses over 200 blue holes (the highest concentration of sinkholes and cave systems in the world) that demand exploration, both in its forests and offshore anchor points.

— Joey Skladany, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of anchor

Noun

Merchants can’t wait for that backbone to modernize, so the real question is how much a provider actually does with the data those old systems already produce.

— Wayne Hamilton, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026
The Sparks also desperately needed Brink to become the defensive backbone of the team.

— Marisa Ingemi, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of backbone

Noun

The officer stops at the pillar between the car’s windows, such that the driver must crane their neck backward to make eye contact and could only open fire awkwardly.

— Sophie Landres, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
For generations, American streets and parks showcased the tall, stately pillars of rows and rows of elm trees.

— Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of pillar

Noun

Ukraine's long-range drones have repeatedly targeted Russian fuel depots and industrial plants that are a mainstay of Moscow's economy and war effort.

— CBS News, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026
Ukraine's long-range drones have repeatedly targeted Russian fuel depots and industrial plants that are a mainstay of Moscow’s economy and war effort.

— ABC News, ABC News, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of mainstay

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“Dependence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dependence. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of dependence

noun

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