De*pend"ent , 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. &fist; See
the Note under Dependant.
De*pend"ent (?), a. [L. dependens, -entis, p.
pr. dependere. See Depend, and cf. Dependant.]
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.
Hear it pronounced