Word Explorer
Children's Dictionary
Help
Help
Help
   
Lookup History
dependent

de·pend·ent [or] de·pend·ant

dependent [or] dependant

 
 
pronunciation:
dih pen dihnt
parts of speech:
adjective, noun
features:
Word Parts
part of speech: adjective
definition 1: relying on another for help or to provide what one needs.
Children are dependent on their parents for food and shelter.
antonyms:
independent
similar words:
helpless, immature, minor, young
definition 2: controlled by how something else turns out.
How much water I'll need to drink is dependent on how far I run.
antonyms:
absolute, independent
similar words:
likely, possible, relative, subject
 
part of speech: noun
definition: one requiring the help of another in order to survive.
My parents have two dependents to take care of: myself and my sister.
synonyms:
minor
similar words:
child, juvenile, vassal, youth
derivation: dependently (adv.)
Word Parts  About this feature
The word dependent contains the following parts:
pend, pens Latin root that means hang; weigh; spend
-ant, -ent Latin adjective- and noun-forming suffix that means (in adjectives) doing the action denoted by the verb root; (in nouns) one who or that which does the action denoted by the verb root.
Show wordsHide wordsMore about this word part:
The suffix -ant , -ent forms adjectives and, to a much lesser extent, nouns from Latin verb stems such as fid in confident and stud in student . This suffix is the equivalent in Latin of the "-ing" inflection in English. Many adjectives ending in -ant , -ent have a corresponding noun ending in -ance, -ence, -ancy, -ency.