Meaning & use
over-dependency
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Meanings
noununcountable
the state of relying on someone or something more than is healthy or reasonable.
Grammar: No plural and no 'a' before it: over-dependency on a person, not 'an over-dependency on a person'.
Patterns
- over-dependency on someone
- over-dependency on something
- reduce over-dependency
Her therapist warned that over-dependency on her partner was making every separation painful.
The report blamed the country's over-dependency on imported fuel for its weak economy.
Teachers try to prevent over-dependency by giving students problems they can solve alone.
noununcountabletechnical
a situation in which one part of a system relies too heavily on another part.
Grammar: Used in technical writing about systems; still uncountable, often followed by 'on' or 'between'.
Patterns
- over-dependency between two things
- over-dependency in a system
Engineers noticed over-dependency between the two servers, so a failure in one shut down the other.
Over-dependency in the supply chain left the factory without parts for weeks.
Common combinations
- over-dependency on something
- The essay examines our over-dependency on smartphones.
- emotional over-dependency
- Emotional over-dependency can strain even a strong friendship.
- reduce over-dependency
- The program aims to reduce over-dependency on foreign aid.
- a pattern of over-dependency
- He recognized a pattern of over-dependency in all his relationships.
- over-dependency issues
- The clinic treats patients with over-dependency issues.
Synonyms and how they differ
- reliance
- Neutral and simply means depending on something; 'over-dependency' adds the judgment that the amount is too much.
- dependence
- The plain, neutral noun; use 'over-dependency' when you want to criticize the degree of dependence.
- codependency
- A related psychology term for two people depending on each other in an unhealthy way, not one person depending on another.
Opposites
Word family
- over-dependent adjective
- relying too much on someone or something
- dependency noun
- the state of needing support from someone or something
- depend verb
- to need or rely on someone or something
- dependable adjective
- able to be trusted to do what is expected
Commonly confused: over-dependency or codependency? over-dependency or addiction?
over-dependency vs codependency
Codependency describes two people leaning on each other in an unhealthy way; over-dependency is one-sided and simply means relying too much.
over-dependency vs addiction
Addiction is a medical condition involving a substance or behavior; over-dependency can be purely emotional and need not involve any substance.
Practice
The coach worried about the team's over-dependency ___ one star player.
Choose one answer.
'Dependency' and 'over-dependency' take 'on' before the person or thing relied upon. 'Of' would show possession, 'for' would suggest purpose, and 'with' does not fit this pattern.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “over-dependency”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.