Dependent

Part of speech: noun (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.

Part of speech: adjective (a.)

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.