Meaning & Definition of word "Dependent"

Dependent

/dɪˈpɛndənt/

1. A person who relies on another for financial or emotional support.
- Example: As a dependent, he was covered under his parent's health insurance plan.
2. A clause or phrase that cannot stand alone as a complete sentence and depends on a main clause.
- Example: In this sentence, 'when she arrived' is a dependent clause that needs an independent clause to make sense.

1. Contingent on or determined by something else; relying on another for support.
- Example: The project's success is dependent on adequate funding.
2. In need of support from someone else; not able to exist, sustain, or function on one's own.
- Example: Many children are dependent on their parents for financial support.
3. Subject to the control or influence of another.
- Example: Her emotional well-being was dependent on the approval of her peers.

From Latin 'dependere', meaning 'to hang from, to be attached to'.

dependent clause:

A group of words with a subject and a verb that cannot stand alone as a sentence.

dependent variable:

A variable in an experiment that is affected by changes in other variables.

dependent on:

To rely on or be influenced by.

dependent relationship:

A relationship where one party relies heavily on the other.

dependence:

The state of relying on or being controlled by someone or something else.

depend:

To rely on or place trust in.

Meaning: needy

Example Sentence: He's so needy; he's totally dependent on his friends for emotional support.

Meaning: clingy

Example Sentence: She's really clingy and dependent on her boyfriend.