One who relies on another for support
"After his injury, he became entirely dependent on his sister for daily care and financial assistance."
In plain English: A dependent is someone who relies on another person for support, money, or care because they cannot do it themselves.
"The baby is completely dependent on her mother for food and comfort."
Usage: Use "dependent" as a noun to refer to a person, such as a child or spouse, who relies on another individual for financial or physical support. Avoid confusing this with the adjective form when you specifically need to identify the person receiving aid rather than describing their state of reliance.
relying on or requiring a person or thing for support, supply, or what is needed
"dependent children"
"dependent on moisture"
(of a clause) unable to stand alone syntactically as a complete sentence
"a subordinate (or dependent) clause functions as a noun or adjective or adverb within a sentence"
addicted to a drug
"After years of struggling with heroin, he finally checked himself into rehab because his life had become completely dependent on the next dose."
Relying upon; depending upon.
"The small town is entirely dependent on tourism for its main source of income."
In plain English: Dependent means relying on someone else for help or support.
"The child is financially dependent on his parents."
Usage: Use "dependent" to describe someone or something that needs support from another person or thing to survive or function. For example, children are often dependent on their parents for care and financial assistance.
The word "dependent" comes from the Old French verb meaning "to hang," originally describing something suspended by a rope or chain. It entered English via Middle French to describe things that rely on others for support, much like an object hanging from above relies on its attachment point.