Adjacent Words

Dependent definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

DEPENDENT, a.
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, n. 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.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: relying on or requiring a person or thing for support, supply, or what is needed; "dependent children"; "dependent on moisture" [ant: independent]
2: contingent on something else [syn: dependent, dependant, qualified]
3: (of a clause) 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" [syn: dependent, subordinate] [ant: independent, main]
4: held from above; "a pendant bunch of grapes" [syn: pendent, pendant, dependent]
5: being under the power or sovereignty of another or others; "subject peoples"; "a dependent prince" [syn: subject, dependent]
6: addicted to a drug [syn: dependent, dependant, drug- addicted, hooked, strung-out] n
1: a person who relies on another person for support (especially financial support) [syn: dependant, dependent]

Merriam Webster's

I. adjective Etymology: Middle English dependant, from Anglo-French, present participle of dependre Date: 14th century 1. hanging down 2. a. determined or conditioned by another ; contingent <plans that are dependent on the weather> b. (1) relying on another for support <dependent children> (2) affected with a drug dependence c. subject to another's jurisdiction <a dependent territory> d. subordinate 3a <dependent clauses> 3. a. not mathematically or statistically independent <a dependent set of vectors> <dependent events> b. equivalent 6a <dependent equations> • dependently adverb II. noun also dependant Date: 1523 1. archaic dependency 2. one that is dependent; especially a person who relies on another for support

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. & n. --adj. 1 (usu. foll. by on) depending, conditional, or subordinate. 2 unable to do without (esp. a drug). 3 maintained at another's cost. 4 Math. (of a variable) having a value determined by that of another variable. 5 Gram. (of a clause, phrase, or word) subordinate to a sentence or word. --n. US var. of DEPENDANT. Derivatives: dependently adv. Etymology: ME, earlier -ant = DEPENDANT

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Dependent De*pend"ent, n. 1. One who depends; one who is sustained by another, or who relies on another for support of 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. Note: See the Note under Dependant.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Dependent De*pend"ent, a. [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; contingent or conditioned; subordinate; -- often with on or upon; as, dependent on God; dependent upon friends. England, long dependent and degraded, was again a power of the first rank. --Macaulay. Dependent covenant or 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.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

1. To be dependent on something or someone means to need them in order to succeed or be able to survive. The local economy is overwhelmingly dependent on oil and gas extraction... = reliant ADJ: oft ADJ on/upon n 2. If one thing is dependent on another, the first thing will be affected or determined by the second. The treatment of infertility is largely dependent on the ability of couples to pay. = contingent ? independent ADJ: v-link ADJ on/upon n 3. see also dependant

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. 1. Hanging, pendent. 2. Conditioned, contingent, unable to exist without, at the disposal of, sustained by.

Moby Thesaurus

accessory, addicted, addicted to, adherent, ancillary, appendage, appurtenant, at issue, attendant, based on, boxed in, buff, cascading, cavaliere servente, charge, childlike, circumscribed, circumscribed by, client, collateral, conditional, conditioned, confiding, contingent, contingent on, counting, courtier, creature, credulous, dangler, dangling, debased, dependent on, depending, depending on, depending on circumstances, disciple, encumbrance, exposed, falling, falling loosely, fan, feudal, feudatory, flowing, flunky, follower, following, guileless, habituated, habitue, hanger-on, hanging, hedged about by, heeler, henchman, hinging on, homager, homme de cour, hooked, hooked on, humbled, hung, iffy, in a rut, in question, in suspense, in the balance, incident to, incidental to, inferior, innocent, lackey, liable, liege, liege man, limited, man, minion, myrmidon, naive, never free from, open, parasite, partisan, pendent, pending, pendulant, pendular, penduline, pendulous, pensile, pensionary, pensioner, peon, predicated on, protege, provisional, provisory, public, public charge, pursuer, pursuivant, reckoning, relative, reliant, relying, restricted, retainer, revolving on, satellite, secondary, sectary, serf, servant, servile, shadow, slave, spaced out, stooge, sub, subject, subject to, subordinate, subservient, successor, supporter, susceptible, suspended, suspenseful, swinging, tagtail, tail, trainbearer, tributary, trustful, trusting, trusty, turning on, uncertain, uncounted, undecided, under, underling, understrapper, undetermined, unestablished, unfixed, unsettled, unsuspecting, unsuspicious, untold, up for grabs, used to, vassal, votary, ward, ward heeler, weeping, without suspicion, yeoman