Definition

1. Verb (transitive):
   • To be dependent on someone or something for support, maintenance, or function: To require someone or something for a particular need, often for survival or basic operation.
   • To place trust or confidence in someone or something: To believe that someone or something is dependable and will act or perform as expected.

Usage and Examples

• Verb (Dependence):

  • Many students rely on scholarships to pay for their education.
  • This coastal town relies on tourism for its economy.
  • The device relies on solar power to operate.

• Verb (Trust/Confidence):

  • You can rely on her to keep a secret.
  • Don't rely on that old map; it's probably outdated.
  • I rely on my assistant to manage the schedule.

Advanced Usage and Nuances

• "Rely on" vs. "Depend on": These are often interchangeable. However, "rely on" can place slightly more emphasis on trust and confidence, while "depend on" can emphasize necessity or functional requirement.

  • I depend on my glasses to read. (Functional necessity)
  • I rely on my friend for good advice. (Trust in judgment)

• Used with abstract concepts: "Rely on" can be used with intangible qualities like discretion, judgment, or instinct.

  • A good detective relies on intuition as much as evidence.

Variants and Related Words

• Reliable (adjective): Consistently good in quality or performance; able to be trusted.
  • He is a reliable employee who always meets deadlines.
• Reliance (noun): The state of depending on or trusting in someone or something.
  • Our reliance on technology grows every year.
• Reliant (adjective): Dependent on someone or something.
  • The country is heavily reliant on imported oil.

Synonyms

• Depend on: To be determined or influenced by.
• Count on: To expect something to happen or to trust someone to do something (often used in promises or assurances).
  • You can count on me to be there.
• Bank on: To base one's hopes or plans on something happening (informal).
  • They're banking on good weather for the picnic.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Fall back on: To use something or depend on someone when other plans have failed or when you are in difficulty.
  • If I don't get the job, I can fall back on my savings for a while.

Idioms and Common Phrases

• Rely on one's own two feet: To be independent and self-sufficient.
  • After college, he had to learn to rely on his own two feet.
• Rely on the kindness of strangers: To be dependent on the goodwill of people one does not know (a reference often associated with Tennessee Williams' play ).
  • Lost and without money, she had to rely on the kindness of strangers.

Verb

1. be dependent on, as for support or maintenance
   • elderly parents often depend on their adult children
2. put trust in with confidence
   • she is someone you can really rely on when times get rough
   • you can rely on his discretion