interdependent

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adjective

Mutually dependent; reliant on one another.

Similar
mutualistmutually beneficialdependent
Less commonScrabble 18

Meanings

adjectiveinterdependent (comparative more interdependent, superlative most interdependent)

comparative more interdependent · superlative most interdependent · alternative inter-dependent

  1. Mutually dependent; reliant on one another.

    All life on our planet exists only because we are enmeshed within a complex web of interdependent ecological and social systems.

    2012 May 18, Bob Doppelt, “Business leaders need systemic thinking for sustainability”, in The Guardian
    5 more examples

    The whole tone of my book is […]to urge that the morality which has been by our necessities developed in the society of individuals must also be applied to the society of nations as that society becomes by virtue of our development more interdependent.

    1910 [1909], Norman Angell, The Great Illusion, page 334

    Sooner or later it may dawn upon the present generation that it has witnessed and is witnessing the birth of a new world of interdependent peoples, in which many of the old names and shibboleths have either changed their meanings or lost them entirely.

    1936 June 7, Nicholas Murray Butler, “Interdependent Nations”, in The New York Times, →ISSN

    Steeped in a culture telling us to think of ourselves as consumers instead of citizens, as self-reliant instead of interdependent, is it any wonder we deal with a systemic issue by turning in droves to ineffectual, individual efforts?

    2017 July 17, Martin Lukacs, “Neoliberalism has conned us into fighting climate change as individuals”, in The Guardian

    Instead, think of Congress and the Fed as interdependent institutions — a political relationship that constrains the Fed’s conduct.

    2017 October 19, Sarah Binder, Mark Spindel, “The Fed Claims to Be Independent. That’s Mostly a Myth.”, in The New York Times, →ISSN

    Ruth Bagley, WRLtH [Western Rail Link to Heathrow] Working Group chair with the Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce, is at pains to point out that the western rail link makes sense whether the third Heathrow runway gets built or not. 'The two are not interdependent', she says. 'The rail link DCO [Development Consent Order] should go in later this year for a decision in 2021, whereas the third runway DCO timetable is a year behind that.'

    2019 October, Ruth Bagley tells James Abbott, “Crunch time for Heathrow western link”, in Modern Railways, page 75

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectivemutually dependent

Similar
mutualistmutually beneficialdependent

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₁én
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₁n̥tér
  3. Proto-Italic*n̥ter
  4. Latininter
  5. Latininter-
  6. Englishinter-
  7. Englishdependent
  8. Englishinterdependent

From inter- + dependent.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian взаимозависим
  • взаимозависим (vzaimozavisim)Mutually dependent
Catalan interdependent
  • interdependentMutually dependent
Dutch wederzijds afhankelijk
  • wederzijds afhankelijkMutually dependent
Finnish keskenään riippuvaiset, toisistaan riippuvaiset
  • keskenään riippuvaisetMutually dependent
  • toisistaan riippuvaisetMutually dependent
French interdépendant
  • interdépendantMutually dependent
German voneinander abhängig, durch gegenseitige Abhängigkeiten gekennzeichnet
  • voneinander abhängigMutually dependent
  • durch gegenseitige Abhängigkeiten gekennzeichnetMutually dependent
  • interdependentMutually dependent
Hungarian egymástól függő, (egymástól) kölcsönösen függő
  • egymástól függőMutually dependent
  • (egymástól) kölcsönösen függőMutually dependent
Māori taupuhipuhi
  • taupuhipuhiMutually dependent
Polish współzależny
  • współzależnyMutually dependent
Russian взаимозави́симый
  • взаимозави́симый (vzaimozavísimyj)Mutually dependent
Spanish interdependiente
  • interdependienteMutually dependent
Ukrainian взаємозале́жний
  • взаємозале́жний (vzajemozaléžnyj)Mutually dependent
Cite this entry
APA

interdependent. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/interdependent

MLA

“interdependent.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/interdependent. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “interdependent,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/interdependent.

Source: interdependent on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.