adj
dependent
dih-PEHN-duhnt
adj
1
Relying on someone or something for support, existence, or success.
"The company's future is heavily dependent on this one client."
"She has become increasingly dependent on her walking stick."
2
Determined by or contingent on something else.
"The outcome is dependent on how the jury interprets the evidence."
noun
1
(US) A person, such as a child, who relies on another for financial support.
"He claimed his elderly mother as a dependent."
How to Use Dependent
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishRelying on something else, or (in American English) a person who is supported financially by someone.
UK vs US
British English tends to reserve "dependent" for the adjective and use "dependant" for the noun; American English uses "dependent" for both.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
dependent on
highly dependent
claim a dependent
Word Forms
more dependent comparative, dependents plural, most dependent superlative
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The company's future is heavily _____ on this one client.
Etymology
From Middle French dependant, the present participle of dependre ("to depend").