rely
/rɪˈlaɪ/(verb)
AWL Sublist 3CEFR B2IELTS Band 7.0 - 9.0
Academic Definition
To depend on with full trust or confidence; to be dependent on for support or success.
Key Academic Collocations
Click to copyWord Family & Derivatives
relyreliablereliabilityreliancereliantreliably
Lexical Alternatives (Synonyms)
dependcountleanhingebank on
Academic Sample Sentences in Context
"The bar chart indicates that developing islands rely heavily on imported petroleum for electrical grid generation."
"Modern metropolitan healthcare infrastructure relies heavily on automated digital record-keeping algorithms."
"Students who rely exclusively on search engines may fail to cultivate independent investigative discernment."
IELTS Examiner Scoring Strategy (Lexical Resource)
Collocation mandate: always 'rely ON / UPON'. Use 'heavily reliant on fossil fuels' to vary word class.