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Webster 1913 Edition

Dependent

De-pend′ent

,
Adj.
[L.
dependens
,
-entis
, p. pr.
dependere
. See
Depend
, and cf.
Dependant
.]
1.
Hanging down;
as, a
dependent
bough or leaf
.
2.
Relying on, or subject to, something else for support; not able to exist, or sustain itself, or to perform anything, without the will, power, or aid of something else; not self-sustaining; subordinate; – often with on or upon;
as,
dependent
on God;
dependent
upon friends
. Opposite of
independent
.
[Narrower terms:
interdependent, mutualist, mutually beneficial
;
parasitic, parasitical, leechlike, bloodsucking
;
subordinate
;
underage
;
myrmecophilous
;
symbiotic
]
Also See:
unfree
.
England, long
dependent
and degraded, was again a power of the first rank.
Macaulay.
Dependent covenant
or
Dependent contract
(Law)
,
one not binding until some connecting stipulation is performed.
–
Dependent variable
(Math.)
,
a varying quantity whose changes are arbitrary, but are regarded as produced by changes in another variable, which is called the
independent variable
.

De-pend′ent

,
Noun.
1.
One who depends; one who is sustained by another, or who relies on another for financial support or favor; a hanger-on; a retainer;
as, a numerous train of
dependents
.
A host of
dependents
on the court, suborned to play their part as witnesses.
Hallam.
2.
That which depends; corollary; consequence.
With all its circumstances and
dependents
.
Prynne.
☞ See the Note under
Dependant
.

Webster 1828 Edition

Dependent

DEPENDENT

,
Adj.
1.
Hanging down; as a dependent leaf.
The furs in the tails were dependent.
2.
Subject to the power of; at the disposal of; not able to exist or sustain itself without the will or power of. Thus, we are dependent on God and his providence; and effect may be dependent on some unknown cause.
3.
Relying on for support or favor; unable to subsist or to perform any thing, without the aid of.
Children are dependent on their parents for food and clothing. The pupil is dependent on his preceptor for instruction.

DEPENDENT

,
Noun.
One who is at the disposal of another; one who is sustained by another, or who relies on another for support or favor; a retainer; as, the prince was followed by a numerous train of dependents.

Definition 2024

dependent

dependent

See also: dépendent and dependënt

English

Adjective

dependent ‎(comparative more dependent, superlative most dependent)

  1. Relying upon; depending upon.
    • 2013 June 7, Joseph Stiglitz, “Globalisation is about taxes too”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 188, number 26, page 19:
      It is time the international community faced the reality: we have an unmanageable, unfair, distortionary global tax regime. […] It is the starving of the public sector which has been pivotal in America no longer being the land of opportunity – with a child's life prospects more dependent on the income and education of its parents than in other advanced countries.
    At that point I was dependent on financial aid for my tuition.‎
  2. (of Scottish Gaelic, Manx and Irish verb forms) Used in questions, negative sentences and after certain particles and prepositions.
  3. (medicine) Affecting the lower part of the body, such as the legs while standing up, or the back while supine.
  4. Hanging down.
    a dependent bough or leaf‎

Derived terms

  • system-dependent

Translations

Noun

dependent ‎(plural dependents)

  1. (US) One who relies on another for support
    With two children and an ailing mother, she had three dependents in all ... (In British English, this meaning is spelt dependant.)
  2. (grammar) An element in phrase or clause structure that is not the head. Includes complements, modifiers and determiners.
  3. (grammar) The aorist subjunctive or subjunctive perfective: a form of a verb not used independently but preceded by a particle to form the negative or a tense form. Found in Greek and in the Gaelic languages.

Synonyms

Related terms

Translations

Related terms

Catalan

Adjective

dependent m, f ‎(masculine and feminine plural dependents)

  1. dependent

Ladin

Noun

dependent m ‎(plural dependenc)

  1. employee

Latin

Verb

dēpendent

  1. third-person plural present active indicative of dēpendeō

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowing from French dépendant.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /de.penˈdent/

Adjective

dependent m, n ‎(feminine singular dependentă, masculine plural dependenți, feminine and neuter plural dependente)

  1. dependent

Declension

Antonyms

Etymology

Originally dependant, from French dépendant, present participle of dépendre ‎(“to depend”) (in English assimilated to Latin dēpendēns).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /dɪˈpɛndənt/
  • Hyphenation: de‧pend‧ent

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