interdependent

IPA/ˌɪntədɪˈpendənt/
KK[ˌɪntɚdɪpˈɛndənt]IPA/ˌɪntərdɪˈpendənt/

interdependent — adjective

  • interdependentpositive
  • more interdependentcomparative
  • most interdependentsuperlative

1. When people, groups, or systems are interdependent, they rely on one another so

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

When people, groups, or systems are interdependent, they rely on one another so closely that a change in one directly affects the others.

Example

The emergency room and pharmacy in a hospital are interdependent — patients need both to recover.

pattern: [group A] and [group B] are interdependent

Amihan saw how interdependent her sales team was with customer support after each product launch.

pattern: [noun] + be + interdependent + with + [other noun]

Common collocations
  • deeply interdependent
  • highly interdependent
  • mutually interdependent
  • interdependent relationship
  • interdependent system
  • economically interdependent
Synonyms
  • mutually dependent

    more emphatic about reciprocity; used in formal contexts

  • interconnected

    focuses on the linking rather than reliance; broader in scope

  • linked

    less formal; can describe weaker relationships

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

[plural noun] + be + interdependent

[noun] + be + interdependent + with + [noun]

become/grow + more + interdependent

deeply/highly + interdependent

Usage Note

Common patterns: use 'X and Y are interdependent' for two parties; 'X is interdependent with Y' when naming one side explicitly. The modifier 'deeply' or 'highly' is frequent in formal and academic writing.

Common Mistakes

The two departments are interdependent of each other.
The two departments are interdependent with each other.
Use 'with', not 'of', to mark the second party in a reciprocal relationship.
Interdependent' and 'independent' are easily confused.
Interdependent' means relying on each other; 'independent' means not needing others. They are near-opposites.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All three words describe relationships between people, groups, or systems, but at different strengths. 'Mutually dependent' is the closest synonym — it emphasises that each side needs the other equally, a core feature of interdependence. 'Interconnected' focuses on the links themselves rather than reliance: two economies can be interconnected (goods flow between them) without being interdependent (one could survive without the other). 'Linked' is the broadest and least formal, covering any connection from loose to tight. In academic writing, 'interdependent' and 'mutually dependent' often appear alongside 'deeply' or 'closely'; 'linked' usually needs a qualifier ('closely linked') to carry the same weight. For example: 'Mexico and the US have deeply *interdependent* economies' emphasises mutual need, while 'the two towns are *linked* by a highway' describes a simple connection.

interconnected ↗mutually dependentlinked ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word comes from the prefix 'inter-' (meaning 'between' or 'mutually') added to 'dependent', which traces back through Latin 'dependent-' ('hanging from') from 'dependere'. So 'interdependent' literally means 'hanging from each other' or 'mutually relying on one another'. The term gained wide use in the mid-20th century as economics, ecology, and political science began describing complex systems where no single part can work alone.

First known use

1838

1838, in the meaning defined above