Meaning of dependent in English

1. Pronunciation

   /dəˈpɛndənt/

   US accent

   How to pronounce dependent in American English, in context ▾
   Use the controls below to browse different examples of pronunciation.

   UK accent

   How to pronounce dependent in British English, in context ▾
   Use the controls below to browse different examples of pronunciation.

1. Classifying Adjective

   dependent

   Definitions

   1. contingent on something else

   Synonyms

   • conditional
2. 2. being under the power or sovereignty of another or others

   Examples

   • « subject peoples »
   • « a dependent prince »

   Synonyms

   • subordinate
3. 3. addicted to a drug

   Synonyms

   • addicted

4. Noun

   dependent

   Definitions

   1. a person who relies on another person for support (especially financial support)

5. Qualitative Adjective

   dependent

   Etymology

   late Middle English dependant ‘hanging down’, from Old French, present participle of dependre (see depend). The spelling change in the 16th century was due to association with the Latin participial stem dependent-

   Definitions

   1. not independent

   Examples

   • « dependent children »

   Synonyms

   • babelike
   • helpless
   • interdependent
   • mutualist
   • mutually beneficial
   • parasitic
   • parasitical
   • leechlike
   • bloodsucking
   • reliant
   • symbiotic
   • underage
   • myrmecophilous

   Antonyms

   • independent
6. 2. of a clause

   Examples

   • « unable to stand alone syntactically as a complete sentence »
   • « a subordinate (or dependent) clause functions as a noun or adjective or adverb within a sentence »

   Antonyms

   • independent
   • main(a)