rely

verb

re·​ly ri-ˈlī How to pronounce rely (audio)
relied; relying

intransitive verb

1
: to be dependent
the system on which we rely for water
2
: to have confidence based on experience
someone you can rely on
relier noun

Examples of rely in a Sentence

rigorously tested the rope before starting out, for the rock climbers would be relying on it with their very lives
Recent Examples on the Web With a lot of the story told through the archive, Howard relied on the footage. Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 24 June 2024 To pay for their travels, 21 percent of Gen Z and 23 percent of Millennials rely heavily on credit card rewards and miles, with 13 percent of Gen Z consumers planning to open a new travel or rewards account. Kanika Talwar, WWD, 24 June 2024 Since his stroke, Fetterman has relied on transcription software to communicate, which, in subtle but important ways, shapes his interactions. Benjamin Wallace-Wells, The New Yorker, 24 June 2024 But these new tech transitions rely on substantial energy, both to build the data centers and to maintain the computing servers. Gary Baum, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for rely 

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

Word History

Etymology

Middle English relien to rally, from Anglo-French relier to retie, gather, rally, from Latin religare to tie out of the way, from re- + ligare to tie — more at ligature

First Known Use

1574, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of rely was in 1574

Dictionary Entries Near rely

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

rely

verb
re·​ly ri-ˈlī How to pronounce rely (audio)
relied; relying
1
: to have confidence based on experience
someone you can rely on
2
: to be dependent
the system on which we rely for water

Legal Definition

rely

intransitive verb
re·​ly
relied; relying
: to depend with confidence : place faith

More from Merriam-Webster on rely

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