English Lexicon

Dependence

/dɪˈpɛndəns/
nounCEFR B2 (Upper)Top #1500 frequency
Full Thesaurus

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As noun
  1. 1

    The state of relying on or being controlled by someone or something else.

    "The country's economic dependence on foreign oil has decreased in recent years."
  2. 2

    Addiction to or habitual reliance on a drug, substance, or behavior.

    "Long-term use of the medication can lead to physical dependence."

Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum

Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

The word 'dependence' originates from the Latin 'dependere', meaning 'to hang from' or 'to rely on'. It evolved through Old French before entering Middle English, reflecting a shift from a physical sense of hanging to a more abstract sense of reliance or need.

Quick Vocabulary Retention Check

Which of the following is the closest synonym for "Dependence"?

Thesaurus & Synonyms Graph

Explore Nuanced Synonyms for "Dependence"

Discover exact matches, context-specific alternatives, and antonyms with intensity ratings in the VocabDictionary Thesaurus.

View "Dependence" Synonym Map