dependency

or de·pend·an·cy

[dih-pen-duh n-see]

See more synonyms for dependency on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural de·pend·en·cies.

the state of being dependent; dependence.
something dependent or subordinate; appurtenance.
an outbuilding or annex.

a subject territory that is not an integral part of the ruling country.

Origin of dependency

First recorded in 1585–95; dependence + -y³

Related formsnon·de·pend·an·cy, noun, plural non·de·pend·an·cies.non·de·pend·en·cy, noun, plural non·de·pend·en·cies.self-de·pend·en·cy, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

need addiction colony

Examples from the Web for dependency

Contemporary Examples

So the dependency story is strange and uneven, and especially nasty when it comes to women.
Here’s Why You Helpless Tramps Don’t Vote Republican
Elizabeth Stoker Bruenig
August 31, 2014
And needless to say, smoking dope in the past month is not evidence of abuse or dependency.
One War We Should Be Happy to Lose Once and For All: the Drug War
Nick Gillespie
June 21, 2014
Too many Americans—including Christians—are afraid that helping the poor will create ‘dependency.’
When Did ‘Dependence’ Become a Dirty Word?
Gene Robinson
April 6, 2014
They went out of their way to tell me how such programs “breed” complacency, laziness, and—wait for it—dependency.
When Did ‘Dependence’ Become a Dirty Word?
Gene Robinson
April 6, 2014
As civil war loomed, Byron reckoned that dependency or continued occupation were the most probable outcomes.
Poet and Rake, Lord Byron Was Also an Interventionist With Brains and Savvy
Michael Weiss
February 16, 2014

Historical Examples

It has been said that that republic is become a dependency of Germany.
England and Germany
Emile Joseph Dillon
He died regretted, in the year this dependency was colonised.
The History of Tasmania , Volume II (of 2)
John West
The dependency of communication on literacy proved to be communication's strength.
The Civilization of Illiteracy
Mihai Nadin
It was the first time she had ever reminded him of his dependency.
The Dude Wrangler
Caroline Lockhart
In 1844 the place was declared to be a dependency of Cape Colony.
South Africa and the Transvaal War, Vol. 1 (of 6)
Louis Creswicke

British Dictionary definitions for dependency

dependency

sometimes US dependancy

noun plural -cies

a territory subject to a state on which it does not border
a dependent or subordinate person or thing
psychol overreliance by a person on another person or on a drug, etc
another word for dependence

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for dependency

1590s (adj.), 1610s (n.); see dependent + -cy. Originally also dependancy, on the French model, but the Latinate form gradually pushed this into disuse; see -ance. Meaning "territory subordinate to another nation" is recorded from 1680s.

dependency

or de·pend·an·cy

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Related Words

Examples from the Web for dependency

Contemporary Examples

So the dependency story is strange and uneven, and especially nasty when it comes to women.

And needless to say, smoking dope in the past month is not evidence of abuse or dependency.

Too many Americans—including Christians—are afraid that helping the poor will create ‘dependency.’

They went out of their way to tell me how such programs “breed” complacency, laziness, and—wait for it—dependency.

As civil war loomed, Byron reckoned that dependency or continued occupation were the most probable outcomes.

Historical Examples

It has been said that that republic is become a dependency of Germany.

He died regretted, in the year this dependency was colonised.

The dependency of communication on literacy proved to be communication's strength.

It was the first time she had ever reminded him of his dependency.

In 1844 the place was declared to be a dependency of Cape Colony.

dependency

sometimes US dependancy

Word Origin and History for dependency

Origin of dependency