reliance

1 something or someone to which one looks for support he's been the family's foremost reliance in times of trouble many times Synonyms anchor, buttress, mainstay, pillar, dependence, standbyRelated Words backbone, sinew(s), spine; right hand; bolsterer, crutch, handmaiden (also handmaid), prop, stay; anchorage, harbor, refuge

2 the quality or state of needing something or someone a baby's reliance on her parents his reliance on his next-door neighbor for all the local gossip Synonyms dependency, dependenceRelated Words reciprocity, relativity; confidence, credence, faith, stock, trustNear Antonyms autonomy, self-determination, sovereignty (also sovranty)Antonyms independence, independency, self-dependence, self-reliance, self-sufficiency, self-support