interdependence
in-ter-dee-PEN-dens
/ˌɪntərdɪˈpendəns/
The dependence of two or more people or things on each other.
In trade, it refers to how a crisis in one country (like a factory fire in Taiwan) can stop production in another (like a car plant in Germany).
The story behind the word. Combines the Latin 'inter' (between) with 'dependence' (from 'dependere', to hang from). It suggests a web where everything is hanging from everything else.
Word relationships
- interconnectedness: Interconnectedness is about the links; interdependence is about the reliance on those links.
- independence: The state of being free from outside control; not relying on others.
Commonly confused with
- dependence: Dependence is one-way; interdependence is two-way.
Word family
- interdependent (adjective): Mutually dependent.
Collocations
- economic interdependence
- mutual interdependence
- global interdependence
Example sentences
- "The economic interdependence of the US and China means that a trade war hurts both nations significantly." Global economy
- "The interdependence of species within an ecosystem ensures that the loss of one can collapse the whole chain." Environmental science
Memory hook
Inter (Between) + Dependence. Depending on each other. Mutual reliance.
When not to use
Don't use it for a one-way relationship; it must be mutual.
Fun facts
- The concept of 'Complex Interdependence' was developed by political scientists Robert Keohane and Joseph Nye to explain why countries rarely go to war when their economies are deeply linked.
Related words
Explore more words
interconnectedness, interdependent, symbiotic, supply chain, multilateral, oligopoly
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