The phrasal verb 'rely on' sees frequent usage across both informal and formal contexts, though it is particularly prevalent in professional, academic, and official communication due to its clarity and precision. It conveys dependence or trust in someone or something, often indicating a degree of confidence or expectation of reliability. For example, one might say "I rely on my colleague for accurate data analysis," or "The project relies on sufficient funding to succeed." Its usage tends to be more constant and essential when expressing a structured relationship or systematic dependency. Consequently, 'rely on' is a versatile phrasal verb that maintains a neutral tone, suitable for both written and spoken discourse across a variety of situations.
B1
Intermediate
1. To trust or depend on someone or something to do what they are supposed to do or what you need them to do.
I rely on my alarm clock to wake me up in the morning.
She can always rely on her friends for support.
They rely on public transportation to get around the city.