Dictionary

dependency en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /dɪˈpendənsi/ (Australia)
• /dɪˈpɛndənsi/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /dəˈpendənsi/ (Australia)
• /dəˈpɛndənsi/ (Canada, UK, US)
• audio Colorado
• /dɪˈpɛndənsi/ (Canada, UK, US)
• /dəˈpendənsi/ (New-Zealand)

Etymology

From dependent + -cy or dependence + -y or depend + -ency.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) A state of dependence; a refusal to exercise initiative.
   • Frank's sullen dependency was driving his father nuts.
2. (countable, uncountable) Something dependent on, or subordinate to, something else
   • In the United States' governmental structure, the military is conceived as a dependency under the executive branch.
3. (countable, uncountable) The status of being a legal dependent; the relationship between a dependent and their provider.
   • The rules for dependency require that the person claiming the dependency provide more than half of the children's support for the year. Length of time spent with the child is not a consideration. Since your parents probably paid more, they get to claim the dependencies. 1999 March 12, TexTax2, “child deductions”, in misc.taxes.moderated (Usenet):
   • In discussing this dependency, the Board said that there was clearly such a relationship. Charles Glassman, Donovan's attorney, said "Finnerty [worked] as deputy district attorney and Donovan lived off [Finnerty's] salary." 1983 December 31, Christine Guilfoy, “Gay Man in California Granted Survivor Benefits”, in Gay Community News, volume 11, number 24, page 1:
4. (countable, uncountable) A colony, or a territory subject to rule by an external power.
   • ‘I have a little theory which you Messieurs who go out there must help me to prove. This is my share in the advantages my country shall reap from the possession of such a magnificent dependency.’ 1899 February, Joseph Conrad, “The Heart of Darkness”, in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume CLXV, number M, New York, N.Y.: The Leonard Scott Publishing Company, […], →OCLC, part I, page 201:
5. (countable, uncountable) A dependence on a habit-forming substance such as a drug or alcohol.
6. (countable, uncountable) Reliance on the functionality provided by some other, external component.
   • This library has dependencies on a lot of other libraries. We have to compile all of those other libraries first.
7. (countable, uncountable) An external component whose functionality is relied on.
   • One of this library's dependencies is very finicky. It can be hard to get it to compile on some systems.

Forms

Deriveds

partial dependency · dependency hell · chemidependency · Crown dependency · thermodependency · functional dependency · high dependency unit · dependency inversion principle · dependency injection · trivial functional dependency · environmental dependency syndrome · autodependency · transitive dependency · codependency · path dependency · dependency theory · British Crown dependency · dependency grammar · engineered dependency · chemical dependency · interdependency · crown dependency · Ross Dependency · dependency ratio · dependency culture · technodependency · overdependency

Relateds

depender · dependence · dependee

Synonyms

addiction · colony · dominion · province · protectorate

Translations (50)

nn biland (a colony or similar territory subject to rule by an external power) · ja 付属品 (something dependent or subordinate to something else) · ga spleáchríoch (a colony or similar territory subject to rule by an external power) · ca dependència (something dependent or subordinate to something else) · nl kolonie (a colony or similar territory subject to rule by an external power) · da afhængighed (something dependent or subordinate to something else) · az asılılıq (addiction) · cs závislost (addiction) · de Abhängigkeit (computing: reliance on functionality) · de Schutzgebiet (a colony or similar territory subject to rule by an external power) · fi riippuvuus (computing: reliance on functionality) · nl afhankelijkheid (something dependent or subordinate to something else) · izh vladenja (a colony or similar territory subject to rule by an external power) · fi alusmaa (a colony or similar territory subject to rule by an external power) · ja 属領 (a colony or similar territory subject to rule by an external power) · id jajahan (a colony or similar territory subject to rule by an external power) · fr dépendance (computing: reliance on functionality) · hu függő terület (a colony or similar territory subject to rule by an external power) · az asılılıq (something dependent or subordinate to something else) · es dependencia (something dependent or subordinate to something else) · sv beroende (addiction) · fi aloitekyvyttömyys (refusal to exercise initiative) · nl afhankelijkheid (computing: reliance on functionality) · hy կախվածություն (addiction) · de Dependency (computing: reliance on functionality) · fi riippuvuus (addiction) · cs závislost (something dependent or subordinate to something else) · ar تَبَعِيَّة (computing: reliance on functionality) · da afhængighed (addiction) · de Abhängigkeit (something dependent or subordinate to something else) · ro dependență (something dependent or subordinate to something else) · nl schutgebied (a colony or similar territory subject to rule by an external power) · sv beroende (computing: reliance on functionality) · de Abhängigkeit (addiction) · cs závislost (a colony or similar territory subject to rule by an external power) · sv beroende (something dependent or subordinate to something else) · ka კოლონია (a colony or similar territory subject to rule by an external power) · eo dependaĵo (something dependent or subordinate to something else) · hy կախվածություն (refusal to exercise initiative) · hu függőség (a colony or similar territory subject to rule by an external power) · ro dependență (addiction) · ro colonie (a colony or similar territory subject to rule by an external power) · sv koloni (a colony or similar territory subject to rule by an external power) · ja 属国 (a colony or similar territory subject to rule by an external power) · hi निर्भरता (something dependent or subordinate to something else) · fi saamattomuus (refusal to exercise initiative) · de Kolonie (a colony or similar territory subject to rule by an external power) · fi alainen (something dependent or subordinate to something else) · nl afhankelijkheid (addiction) · fr dépendance (addiction)