DEPENDENCE 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 With longer working lives and growing dependence on technology fueling anxieties about mental sharpness, Ramsden says, her clients are getting younger, too. — Amy O’Brien, Vogue, 3 Nov. 2026 African lenders launched a $5 billion energy bank focused on oil and gas projects, as the continent tries to break its costly dependence on fuel imports. — semafor.com, 2 Nov. 2026 In other words, its dependence on soybean imports is only continuing to grow. — Joel Wuthnow, Foreign Affairs, 2 Nov. 2026 Organic systems reduce dependence on costly external inputs while accessing markets that reward differentiated production. — Jeff Tkach, Forbes.com, 30 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dependence

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dependence

Noun

Its removable battery eliminates a major dependency on external power.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 10 Nov. 2026
Under Chinese leader Xi Jinping, China is going all out for tech self-sufficiency precisely to escape the kind of dependencies that Huang envisages.

— Andy Browne, semafor.com, 10 Nov. 2026

Definition of dependency

Noun

SpaceX plans to invest around $50 billion in a supercomputing campus in Arizona, using a dry-cooling system designed to reduce the facility’s reliance on water.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 13 Nov. 2026
In 1969, Fannie Lou Hamer, a Black organizer, pioneered land cooperatives in Mississippi to usher in food sovereignty, aiming to curb her Black contemporaries’ increasing reliance on large, sprawling food production systems.

— Jerel Ezell, STAT, 12 Nov. 2026

Definition of reliance

Noun

Guardado killed Jackie Malone inside her home before stealing her jewelry box, $80 and other items to fund his drug addiction.

— Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2026
As more people use kratom and other associated products, there’s a growing recognition of the potential risk for addiction.

— Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 6 Nov. 2026

Definition of addiction

Noun

Schools are community anchors and they should be used to benefit the community.

— Willie Wilson, Chicago Tribune, 11 Nov. 2026
And amid it all is the anchor of the precinct, The Calile, an urban resort hotel whose execution feels Aussie but whose ambition and hospitality would work in any major global city.

— Erin Florio, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Nov. 2026

Definition of anchor

Noun

Using them as a permanent crutch, however, can create a long-term problem.

— John Csiszar, Washington Post, 25 Oct. 2026
There was Franz West’s Passstück (1983/1984), a sculpture meant to be used like a strange crutch that would modify how a person moves about.

— Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of crutch

Noun

Upon its initial release, the album cemented My Chemical Romance's shift from mainstays of the emo scene to mainstream recognition, becoming one of the most inventive bands of the 21st century.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026
No one wants to say goodbye to Chargers mainstay Khalil Mack that way, but the veteran defender should be worth a pretty pick to a contender.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026