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
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But some question the field’s overreliance on social media data in the first place. Bykai Kupferschmidt, science.org, 31 Oct. 2024 Crucially, overreliance on the partner can be risky, so maintaining some internal expertise and having contingency plans in place is advisable. Sander Barens, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024 The equation’s overreliance on race is inaccurate and dangerous but unfortunately still common, according to a report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine that was published Wednesday. Kaan Ozcan, CNN, 30 Oct. 2024 While the occasional pouch can be part of a healthy diet, doctors and nutritionists are raising concerns that an overreliance on pouches can interfere with nutrition, long-term food preferences, dental hygiene and even speech and language development. Jenny Gold, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for overreliance 

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 30 Nov. 2024.

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