interdependence

noun

in·​ter·​de·​pen·​dence ˌin-tər-di-ˈpen-dən(t)s 

variants or interdependency

ˌin-tər-di-ˈpen-dən(t)-sē 

plural interdependences or interdependencies

1

: the state of being dependent upon one another : mutual dependence

interdependence of the two nations' economies

… a form of symbiosis, of close mutual interdependence of two species of organisms.

—Marston Bates

… the deep psychological interdependence between ourselves and those we love.

—Judith A. Savage

… understood the interdependence of mental, physical, and spiritual health.

—Donald N. Levine

But plants happen to grow in these little universes we call ecosystems, where they are sustained by complex webs of interdependency with fungi, microbes, animals, and other plants.

—Kenneth Brower

2

: a mutually dependent relationship

Growing global interdependencies further muddy the debate, making it harder to know who "we" are and what "our" national interests really are.

—Peter H. Schuck

There are complex interdependences among these factors …

—Victor H. Benenberg

Examples of interdependence in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Chipko activists of 1970s and ‘80s India saved their forests by calling attention to the deep interdependence between humans and the natural world. —The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 3 Mar. 2025

Their interdependence and mutual miscomprehension is an illustration of the deep roots of British class perception, a mode of ordering the world whose concealment beneath the junk of modernity belies its extraordinary tenacity. —Rachel Cusk, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025

This interdependence is typically balanced by rich countries footing the bill and poor countries accepting deportations. —Nicholas R. Micinski, The Conversation, 3 Feb. 2025

Microsoft Issues New Windows 11 Blue Screen Warning For All Users Staying Balanced What many don’t realize is the level of interdependence between the 3,000+ public power utilities in the U.S. —Greg Robinson, Forbes, 2 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1817, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for interdependence

• superintendence
• ascendance
• attendance
• dependance
• dependence
• transcendence
• tendance