dependent

or de·pend·ant

[ dih-pen-duhnt ]

/ dɪˈpɛn dənt /

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See synonyms for: dependent / dependents on Thesaurus.com

adjective

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

conditioned or determined by something else; contingent: Our trip is dependent on the weather.

subordinate; subject: a dependent territory.

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.Compare independent (def. 14), main¹ (def. 4).

hanging down; pendent.

Mathematics.

(of a variable) having values determined by one or more independent variables.
(of an equation) having solutions that are identical to those of another equation or to those of a set of equations.

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

noun

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

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.

Archaic. a subordinate part.

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of dependent

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

OTHER WORDS FROM dependent

de·pend·ent·ly, de·pend·ant·ly, adverbo·ver·de·pend·ent, adjectivepre·de·pend·ent, adjectivequa·si-de·pend·ent, adjective

qua·si-de·pend·ent·ly, adverbself-de·pend·ent, adjectiveself-de·pend·ent·ly, adverbsem·i·de·pend·ent, adjectivesem·i·de·pend·ent·ly, adverbun·de·pend·ent, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use dependent in a sentence

We see detoxing as a path to transcendence, a symbol of modern urban virtue and self-transformation through abstinence.
How Taryn Toomey’s ‘The Class’ Became New York’s Latest Fitness Craze|Lizzie Crocker|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Stephanie Giorgio, a classical musician, credits The Class for helping her cope with anxiety, focus, fear, and self-doubt.
How Taryn Toomey’s ‘The Class’ Became New York’s Latest Fitness Craze|Lizzie Crocker|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
For someone with anorexia, self-starvation makes them feel better.
How Skinny Is Too Skinny? Israel Bans ‘Underweight’ Models|Carrie Arnold|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
I went into the audition as Fericito, the Venezuelan percussionist, and then I did a self-defense expert.
Coffee Talk with Fred Armisen: On ‘Portlandia,’ Meeting Obama, and Taylor Swift’s Greatness|Marlow Stern|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Its graceful hotels and beautiful restaurants are totally dependent on the tourist trade.
Is Putin Turning to Terrorism in Ukraine?|Anna Nemtsova|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Let the thought of self pass in, and the beauty of great action is gone, like the bloom from a soiled flower.
Pearls of Thought|Maturin M. Ballou
Now this setting up of an orderly law-abiding self seems to me to imply that there are impulses which make for order.
Children's Ways|James Sully
At present, Louis was too self-absorbed by the struggles within him, to look deep into what was passing around him.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter
But to wave this discourse of Heathens, how many self-contradicting principles are there held among Christians?
The Life and Most Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of York, Mariner (1801)|Daniel Defoe
Jean grinned and dribbled self-consciously, and showed his two little teeth to the proudest father in the world.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke

British Dictionary definitions for dependent

dependent

sometimes US dependant

/ (dɪˈpɛndənt) /

adjective

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

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

subordinate; subjecta dependent prince

obsolete hanging down

maths

(of a variable) having a value depending on that assumed by a related independent variable
(of a linear equation) having every solution as a solution of one or more given linear equations

noun

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

a variant spelling (esp US) of dependant

Derived forms of dependent

dependently, adverb

undefined dependent

Avoid confusion with dependant

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

dependent

or de·pend·ant

Origin of dependent

OTHER WORDS FROM dependent

Words related to dependent

How to use dependent in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for dependent

sometimes US dependant

Derived forms of dependent

undefined dependent