overreliance

noun

over·​re·​li·​ance ˌō-vər-ri-ˈlī-ən(t)s How to pronounce overreliance (audio)
: the act or state of relying on something or someone too much : excessive reliance
One of my top priorities next year is to have an energy policy that begins to address all facets of our overreliance on fossil fuels.Barack Obama
I shy away from prescribing sleeping pills … to avoid overreliance on them.Andrew Weil

Examples of overreliance in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Although Ariès has been criticized, sometimes fairly, for an overreliance on literary sources and an idealization of the past, his core conclusion holds true: there was a social regularity—and nearness—to death that’s largely foreign to many today. Cody Delistraty, The New Yorker, 22 June 2024 An overreliance on game theory contributed to the catastrophic U.S. failure in Vietnam, because our computer simulations could not conceive of, let alone account for, the possibility of guerrilla warfare. Linda Kinstler, Washington Post, 20 June 2024 Urban planners worry an overreliance on single-family residences to raise taxes and house new citizens could stilt the city’s growth. Jaime Moore-Carrillo, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 June 2024 Thankfully, the overreliance on sketches about Elordi’s retina-bursting rizz barely diminished an otherwise fantastic midseason premiere. Joe Berkowitz, Vulture, 21 Jan. 2024 See all Example Sentences for overreliance 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'overreliance.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1833, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of overreliance was in 1833

Dictionary Entries Near overreliance

Cite this Entry

“Overreliance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overreliance. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.

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