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overreliance

overreliance

1 5.2
Too much dependence on one person or thing
  • noun
  • /ˌoʊvərɪˈlaɪəns/
: sobredependencia
  • Many businesses face challenges due to their overreliance on a single supplier.
  • problems with overreliance
  • Overreliance on teacher

Examples

  • An overreliance on technology can lead to a lack of basic skills among students.

  • The Chinese economy today suffers from massive inefficiency and production problems due to an overreliance on state control.

    Academic text (2018)
  • The prominence of the UN role has caused concern that there will be an overreliance on foreign elements.

    Academic text (1993)
  • In both countries, this problem results from an overreliance on the memorization of information at the early stages of a student's educational development.

    Academic text (1990)
  • The decision grew out of the chiefs' concerns about overreliance on government agencies for program funding, which they argued compromised Indigenous political authority.

    Academic text (2017)
  • There is no "magical" solution, and finding alternative energy sources and reducing overreliance on particular suppliers isn't something that one can change overnight.

    Academic text (2015)
  • "There are just a lot of problems with overreliance on eyewitness testimony," Huff concludes.

    Academic text (2000)
  • Overreliance on teacher-directed and teacher-implemented consequence programs can lead to reduced student acceptance of responsibility for actions.

    Academic text (2012)
  • At the same time, it suffered from a number of structural problems, including an overreliance on agriculture, the weakness of the private sector, an unfavorable international environment, and, as a result, chronically high rates of unemployment, especially among the young.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Finally, Suldo and Shaffer acknowledge important weaknesses in their research design, including their use of a convenience sample and their overreliance on self-report measures.

    Academic text (2008)

Synonyms

overdependence
vsoverreliance
1 4.8

Needing someone or something too much so it causes harm

is a general state of leaning too much without stressing harm
overtrust
vsoverreliance
1 7.5

Believing someone or something too much causes mistakes

is about leaning too much on others rather than misplaced faith

Antonyms

441 3.0

Freedom from control by others, for example when a country is free or a person supports themselves

20 4.1

Being able to do things and meet needs without help from others

How Dependent

overreliance
1 5.2
reliance
71 3.2
independence
441 3.0

Surface Forms

overreliance singular
overreliances plural

Morphology

overreliance = reliance (transparent) = over + rely + ance

A straightforward prefixation: 'over-' meaning 'excessive' attaches to 'reliance', yielding an easily derivable meaning for learners.

Etymology

Overreliance is made of over- and rely, where rely means 'to lean on' someone or something and over- means 'too much'. So overreliance is like 'leaning on' something 'too much', which is why it means depending too much on someone or something.