dependent

Needing someone or something for help, money, or something necessary.

• The baby is dependent on you.
• They became financially dependent on their parents.
• Our crops are dependent on regular rainfall.

How to use it: dependent on someone/something (The village is dependent on tourism.); dependent on someone for something (She is dependent on her brother for transport.)

Similar words: reliant

Opposites: independent

Common phrases: dependent on someone, financially dependent, dependent on something

Hanging or pointing downwards.

• The tree has dependent branches.
• Water gathered at the tips of the dependent leaves.
• The injured limb was kept in a dependent position.

Similar words: hanging, drooping, pendulous

Common phrases: dependent branch, dependent leaves, dependent position

A person who needs another person to provide money, food, or other care.

• He has three dependents.
• You can add a dependent to your insurance plan.
• She supports two children and an elderly dependent.

Common phrases: a dependent child, claim a dependent, support a dependent

A word or group of words attached to the main word in a phrase or sentence.

• This adjective is a dependent.
• A head may have several dependents.
• The diagram links each dependent to its head.

How to use it: dependent of something (The adjective is a dependent of the noun.)

Common phrases: syntactic dependent, dependent of something, head and dependent