dependent

Or de·pend·ant

[dih-pen-duhnt]

adjective

1. relying on someone or something else for aid, support, etc.

2. conditioned or determined by something else; contingent.

   Our trip is dependent on the weather.

3. subordinate; subject.

   a dependent territory.

4. Grammar.,  not used in isolation; used only in connection with other forms. In I walked out when the bell rang, when the bell rang is a dependent clause.

5. hanging down; pendent.

6. Mathematics.

   1. (of a variable) having values determined by one or more independent variables.

   2. (of an equation) having solutions that are identical to those of another equation or to those of a set of equations.

7. Statistics.,  (of an event or a value) not statistically independent.

noun

1. a person who depends on or needs someone or something for aid, support, favor, etc.

2. a child, spouse, parent, or certain other relative to whom one contributes all or a major amount of necessary financial support.

   She listed two dependents on her income-tax form.

3. Archaic.,  a subordinate part.

dependent

/ dɪˈpɛndənt /

adjective

1. depending on a person or thing for aid, support, life, etc

2. (postpositive; foll by on or upon) influenced or conditioned (by); contingent (on)

3. subordinate; subject

   a dependent prince

4. obsolete,  hanging down

5. maths

   1. (of a variable) having a value depending on that assumed by a related independent variable

   2. (of a linear equation) having every solution as a solution of one or more given linear equations

noun

1. grammar an element in a phrase or clause that is not the governor

2. a variant spelling (esp US) of dependant

Confusables Note

See dependant

Other Word Forms

• dependently adverb
• dependantly adverb
• overdependent adjective
• predependent adjective
• quasi-dependent adjective
• quasi-dependently adverb
• self-dependent adjective
• self-dependently adverb
• semidependent adjective
• semidependently adverb
• undependent adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of dependent¹

First recorded in 1375–1425, dependent is from the late Middle English word dependaunt. See depend, -ent

Example Sentences

Well, outcomes are partly dependent upon who the VAR is - which makes consistency very difficult.

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The international is designed to bring extra revenue into the game, but that will be dependent on the crowd's size.

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And it makes sense that this tendency will be particularly present at the beginning of a make-or-break period for retailers’ full year results — and given how dependent the entire economy is on consumers’ spending habits.

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However, the new experiments show that foam stability is more complex than previously thought, and highly dependent on beer style.

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Her husband is a fully disabled Navy veteran dependent on benefits from Veterans Affairs.

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Related Words

• defenseless 
• poor 
• reliant 
• vulnerable