dependency

American  

[dih-pen-duhn-see] / dɪˈpɛn dən si /

Or dependancy

noun

• dependencies
  plural

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

Derived Forms

• nondependancy
  noun
• nondependency
  noun
• self-dependency
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• dependencies
  plural

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

See Examples For:

dependency dependencies

He noted that for Mastercard’s customer base, which consists of financial-services players, the company’s open standard for stablecoins “provides direct participation, reduced dependency on third parties and the benefits of distributed economics.”

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 30, 2026

ESPN’s direct-to-consumer streaming service, designed to lessen its dependency on declining cable TV revenue, is still in its nascent stage.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026

The film explores conversations around eating disorders, mental health, alcohol dependency and difficult family dynamics.

From BBC ● Jul. 16, 2026

Chinese users of AI-powered companion bots have bid heart-rending farewells to their virtual buddies as national regulations took effect Wednesday aimed at curbing the risk of emotional dependency.

From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026

According to Florida law, dependency cases are supposed to be brought before the court every six months.

From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter

Compared with chemical dependencies, which have been well understood since before the first DSM was compiled in 1952, the framework for describing so-called behavioral addictions is extremely new, he and others said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026

They leave open the possibility of using tariffs to reduce critical dependencies in areas such as minerals, pharmaceutical ingredients or semiconductors.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026

"In all of these questions, there's a battle over sovereignty that is being fought and must absolutely be won... technological dependencies will more and more become industrial and strategic dependencies," Macron said.

From Barron's ● May 22, 2026

Both Crown dependencies have set residency requirements for eligibility - 12 months for Jersey and five years for the Isle of Man.

From BBC ● Feb. 26, 2026

Ursula Granger ruled the kitchen and other dependencies, supervising the cooking and washing, the smokehouse where meats were cured, and the cider-making operation.

From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis