dependence
n. C / Un. a situation where you need someone or something to help you or to survive. It can also mean being controlled by something, like a drug or a habit.
n. the state of relying on or being controlled by someone or something else. Often used in medical contexts to describe physical or psychological addiction, or in economics to describe reliance on specific resources.
The country is trying to reduce its dependence on oil.
Many elderly people value their autonomy and fear that a growing dependence on others will limit their freedom.
The regional economy's heavy dependence on a single manufacturing plant left the community vulnerable to sudden shifts in global market demand.
From Middle French dépendance. Morphologically depend + -ence.
Often followed by the preposition 'on' or 'upon'. When referring to the general state, it is uncountable; when referring to specific instances or types, it can be countable.
his dependence to caffeinehis dependence on caffeineDependence takes the preposition 'on' or 'upon', not 'to'.