v.
Pronunciation: ri- ' l ī
Function: intransitive verb
Inflected Form: re · lied ; re · ly · ing
Etymology: Middle English relien to rally, from Anglo-French relier to retie, gather, rally, from Latin religare to tie out of the way, from re- + ligare to tie ― more at LIGATURE
Date: 1574
1 : to be dependent <the system on which we rely for water>
2 : to have confidence based on experience <someone you can rely on>
– re · li · er \ - ' l ī (- ə )r \ noun