reliant

Meaning

1. 1adjectiveafter a verb

   Needing someone or something in order to manage, work or survive.

   Grammar: Used after be or become with on: she is reliant on her glasses; it is not normally placed before a noun.

   Patterns

   • be reliant on someone
   • be reliant on something for something

   Many villages are reliant on a single well for water.

   He became reliant on painkillers after the accident.

   The charity is largely reliant on donations from local businesses.

Word forms

Common combinations

heavily reliant on

The shop is heavily reliant on weekend customers.

increasingly reliant on

Students are increasingly reliant on their phones.

totally reliant on

The old engine is totally reliant on a rare spare part.

reliant on others

After surgery she was reliant on others for a month.

become reliant

It is easy to become reliant on caffeine.

Synonyms and how they differ

dependent

Dependent is very close, but it is also used for children and other people who are supported, while reliant is more about practical need.

contingent

Contingent is formal and means conditional on something happening, not about relying on a person.

needy

Needy describes someone who lacks money or demands attention, while reliant just notes dependence.

supported by

Supported by is neutral and describes help received, but reliant implies the thing would struggle without it.

Opposites

Word family

reliance noun

the state of depending on something

rely verb

to depend on or trust

self-reliant adjective

able to manage without help from others

reliable adjective

dependable

Commonly confused: reliant or reliable?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “reliant”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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