reliance

noun

re·​li·​ance ri-ˈlī-ən(t)s How to pronounce reliance (audio)
Synonyms of reliancenext
1
: the act of relying : the state of being reliant
2
: something or someone relied on

Synonyms of reliance

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Examples of reliance in a Sentence

he's been the family's foremost reliance in times of trouble many times a baby's reliance on her parents
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
DeepSeek’s goal is to lessen its reliance on chips from Club name Nvidia and China’s Huawei. — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 7 July 2026 Over time, that could reduce the company’s reliance on chips from American suppliers. — Katherine Doyle, NBC news, 7 July 2026 The focus is on data center chips for inference, not training, and the goal is likely to reduce reliance on both Huawei and Nvidia. — Samuel Axon, ArsTechnica, 7 July 2026 The lithium-ion batteries that supply much of today’s clean energy come with some infamous drawbacks, from fire risk to reliance on foreign mining. — Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for reliance

Word History

First Known Use

1606, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of reliance was in 1606

Phrases Containing reliance

Rhymes for reliance

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Browse Nearby Words

reliably
reliance
reliant
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Cite this Entry

“Reliance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reliance. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

reliance

noun
re·​li·​ance ri-ˈlī-ən(t)s How to pronounce reliance (audio)
1
: the act of relying
2
: the condition or attitude of one who relies : dependence
3
: something or someone relied on

Legal Definition

reliance

noun
re·​li·​ance ri-ˈlī-əns How to pronounce reliance (audio)
1
: the act of relying
reliance on a promise
2
: reliance interest at interest 1

More from Merriam-Webster on reliance

Nglish: Translation of reliance for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about reliance

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