Meaning & use
total dependence
Last updated
Meanings
phraseuncountableformal
The state of relying completely on someone or something for support, survival, or success.
Grammar: Uncountable: say 'total dependence on something', not 'a total dependence'.
Patterns
- total dependence on someone
- total dependence on something
- reduce total dependence
The country's total dependence on imported oil makes its economy vulnerable.
Infants have total dependence on their caregivers for food and safety.
The goal is to reduce total dependence on foreign aid.
phraseuncountablemedical
In medicine, a condition in which a person cannot function without help or a substance.
Grammar: Uncountable: 'total dependence on a drug'.
Patterns
- total dependence on a drug
- total dependence on a machine
After the accident, he had total dependence on a ventilator to breathe.
The patient's total dependence on painkillers worried the doctors.
Common combinations
- total dependence on
- Their total dependence on tourism made the island's economy fragile.
- economic dependence
- Economic dependence on a single crop can be risky.
- reduce dependence
- The government wants to reduce dependence on coal.
- complete dependence
- The baby's complete dependence on her mother is natural.
Synonyms and how they differ
- reliance
- Reliance is similar but often implies trust or confidence; dependence is stronger and suggests needing something to survive.
- dependency
- Dependency is often used for a state or condition, especially in political or economic contexts; dependence is more general.
Opposites
Word family
- depend verb
- To rely on someone or something.
- dependent adjective
- Needing someone or something for support.
- dependable adjective
- Reliable and trustworthy.
Commonly confused: total dependence or dependance?
total dependence vs dependance
'Dependance' is a rare word meaning a building or a dependent territory; the usual noun for relying on something is 'dependence'.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'total dependence' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The correct preposition after 'dependence' is 'on'. Option 1 uses 'of', which is wrong. Option 2 uses 'for', which is not used with 'dependence' in this sense. Option 3 uses 'with', which is also incorrect.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “total dependence”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.