dependent
part of speech
adjective (dependent, more dependent); noun (US: a dependent, dependents; UK also «dependant»)
meaning for a pupil
1) (adjective) Needing someone or something for support, help or money: «Babies are dependent on their parents.» tree →
2) (adjective) Decided by or changing with something else: «Our trip is dependent on the weather.» tree →
3) (adjective) Needing a drug or substance and finding it hard to stop. tree →
4) (noun) A person, usually a child, who relies on someone else for money and care: «He has three dependants.» tree →
5) (maths, science) A «dependent variable» is what you measure, which changes when you change something else. tree →
sense in the lessons
In science investigations: the dependent variable is what you measure (how tall the plant grows), and the independent variable is what you change (amount of water). In maths, one quantity can be dependent on another (cost depends on how many you buy). In everyday and adult life: children are dependents; tax forms ask about dependants. Phrases: «dependent on», «dependent upon», «heavily dependent», «financially dependent».
examples
- Young children are dependent on their parents. tree →
- Our picnic is dependent on the weather. tree →
- In our experiment, the dependent variable was the height of the bean plant. tree →
- Many towns are dependent on tourism. tree →
- Dad listed us as dependants on the form. tree →
- The total cost is dependent on how many tickets we buy. tree →
- Some animals are dependent on one kind of food. tree →
- A poor blind Brahman and his wife were dependent on their son for their subsistence. tree →
note
Use «dependent on» (not «of»). Spelling trap: the adjective is always «dependent»; the noun is «dependant» in British English and «dependent» in American. Opposite: «independent». Verb: «depend»; noun: «dependence».
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «dependent» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.