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overreliance

overreliance

1 5.2
Too much dependence on one person or thing
  • noun
  • /ˌoʊvərɪˈlaɪəns/
translation icon : 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
7.5

Believing someone or something too much causes mistakes

is about leaning too much on others rather than misplaced faith

Antonyms

608 3.0

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

17 4.1

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

How Dependent

overreliance
1 5.2
reliance
80 3.2
independence
608 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.