variants
also dependance
1
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in anchor
something or someone to which one looks for support
ultimately rice became the chief dependence in that state
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3
as in addiction
a physiological need for certain drugs
acquired a dependence on prescription painkillers following back surgery
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dependence
While not denying the parallels between Muggle and magical technologies, Oakes’s conclusions depend on ignoring magical people’s complete dependence on a wand—the indisputable sine qua non of reliable spellwork.
—
Literary Hub, 26 June 2025
This is the industrial dependence theory of cyber theft.
—William Akoto, The Conversation, 25 June 2025
Some individuals’ self-destructive dependence on AI to make sense of the world through religious prophecy, sci-fi technobabble, conspiracy theories, or all of the above has led to family rifts, divorces, and gradual alienation from society itself.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 22 June 2025
However, after society grows an unhealthy dependence on the pills, Dr. Skinner vanishes.
—Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 20 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for dependence
Literary Hub, 26 June 2025
This is the industrial dependence theory of cyber theft.
—William Akoto, The Conversation, 25 June 2025
Some individuals’ self-destructive dependence on AI to make sense of the world through religious prophecy, sci-fi technobabble, conspiracy theories, or all of the above has led to family rifts, divorces, and gradual alienation from society itself.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 22 June 2025
However, after society grows an unhealthy dependence on the pills, Dr. Skinner vanishes.
—Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 20 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for dependence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dependence
Noun
-
The breaks show the hidden dependencies where your business still needs you as a crutch.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
-
The states with the highest vice dependencies are Mississippi, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee.—
Sophie Clark,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 June 2025
Noun
-
What To Know Trump sat down last week for an interview with Fox News anchor Maria Bartiromo that aired on Sunday Morning Futures.—
Peter Aitken,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 June 2025
-
Housed in the 1907 Westland Building, a former steam supply warehouse, the hotel anchors RailSpur, a placemaking initiative that connects three historic structures in Pioneer Square through alleys that draw in the public with the promise of art and cocktails.—
Leilani Marie Labong,
Travel + Leisure,
29 June 2025
Noun
-
Not the years battling post-traumatic stress disorder or addiction.—
Juliana Kim,
NPR,
24 June 2025
-
In Twin Peaks, Deputy Chief Hawk and Sheriff Frank Truman—filling in for ailing brother Frank—work on following a lead phoned in by an ailing Log Lady, while Richard Horne, son of Audrey Horne and Cooper’s evil double, spiraling into depravity and addiction, kills a child in a hit-and-run.—
Samantha Bergeson,
IndieWire,
20 June 2025
Noun
-
Yet the reliance on USD pegs comes with regulatory frictions and geopolitical exposure.—
Sean Lee,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
-
Bannon, who has long opposed U.S. military involvement in Iran, questioned Trump's reliance on intelligence reportedly provided by Israel, rather than U.S. sources.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 June 2025
Noun
-
In addition to tying collagen supplements or the Jennifer Aniston habit of collagen coffee, the easiest way to support your body’s collagen protein is through your diet.—
Alessandra Signorelli,
Vogue,
1 July 2025
-
Other Republicans talk to Trump too, including Hawley — who then made a habit of informing Washington that Trump wants a softer touch on Medicaid.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
1 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dependence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dependence. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
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