dependency

American  

[dih-pen-duhn-see] / dɪˈpɛn dən si /

Or dependancy

noun

plural

dependencies

1. the state of being dependent; dependence.

2. something dependent or subordinate; appurtenance.

3. an outbuilding or annex.

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

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dependency British  

/ dɪˈpɛndənsɪ /

noun

1. a territory subject to a state on which it does not border

2. a dependent or subordinate person or thing

3. psychol overreliance by a person on another person or on a drug, etc

4. another word for dependence

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Other Word Forms

• nondependancy noun
• nondependency noun
• self-dependency noun

Etymology

Origin of dependency

First recorded in 1585–95; dependence + -y ³

Explanation

Dependency happens when you can't function without the help of someone or something. If you have a dependency on coffee, you need it to be human in the morning. Not sure? Ask the people you live with. A dependency on the help or support of another person isn't necessarily negative, but other kinds of dependency — on something habit-forming or addictive, like cigarettes — can be harmful. You can also use this noun to mean "a country, province, or territory controlled by a bigger, more powerful country." Guam and Puerto Rico, which don't have complete independence from the US, can be called dependencies.

Example Sentences

The requirements are meant to help biofuel producers and farmers who produce ethanol and to reduce dependency on foreign oil, the EPA said.

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

Over the next decades, questions on language, literacy and occupation were refined, adding secondary work and dependency details.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

In South Korea, one of the biggest LNG importers, the government is pushing to reduce dependency on fossil-fuel imports with renewables.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

We are defending our people, protecting regional stability and global prosperity, and demonstrating that real alliances are built on cooperation and contribution, not dependency.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

But guilt doesn’t go anywhere near far enough; the appropriate emotion is shame—shame at our own dependency, in this case, on the underpaid labor of others.

From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich