overreliance

noun

over·​re·​li·​ance ˌō-vər-ri-ˈlī-ən(t)s 

: 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

Global overreliance on the dollar has resulted in currency distortions, a devaluation of U.S. labor and products and an entrenchment of trade deficits, which in turn fuel further demand for dollars, Stephen Miran, chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, argued earlier this month. —Tobias Burns, The Hill, 24 Apr. 2025

Their insights highlight the opportunities AI presents, the risks of overreliance on it and the human qualities that will always be essential for guiding teams. —Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 20 Mar. 2025

If there’s no sound underlying strategy and expertise, and no proper oversight, overreliance on AI can produce poor results. —Dan Kahn, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025

That, in turn, led to an overreliance on other teams to take away points and finish the job the Titans couldn’t. —Jen Karmarkar, Oc Register, 11 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1833, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for overreliance

• appliance
• compliance
• defiance
• reliance
• geoscience
• neuroscience
• noncompliance
• pseudoscience
• science