Dependent vs. Depended — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman & Urooj Arif — Updated on April 20, 2024
Dependent is an adjective or noun describing reliance or a person reliant on something or someone, while depended is the past form of the verb depend, indicating reliance in the past.
Difference Between Dependent and Depended
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Dependent can function as an adjective describing someone or something reliant on another, or as a noun referring to a person who relies on another, typically for financial support. Depended, on the other hand, is the simple past tense and past participle of the verb depend, used to describe actions or conditions that were reliant on something in the past.
As an adjective, dependent implies a need for support or help from something else. This usage is common in both personal and technical contexts, such as a dependent child or a dependent variable in an experiment. Depended, however, specifically relates to situations or actions in the past that required reliance or support, such as a decision that depended on certain information.
When used as a noun, dependent refers to someone who relies on another, especially for financial support, such as a child or elderly family member. Whereas depended does not have a noun form, as it functions strictly as a verb.
The term dependent often appears in legal and tax contexts, where it categorizes individuals receiving support, highlighting their reliant status. Depended, however, typically appears in narratives or descriptions of past events, indicating reliance in historical contexts.
In a psychological context, being dependent can describe a state of needing support due to emotional or mental health issues, while the use of depended might be found in recounting past relationships or dependencies that have since changed.
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Comparison Chart
Part of Speech
Adjective, Noun
Verb (past tense, past participle)
Usage
Describes reliance or a reliant person
Indicates past reliance
Common Contexts
Legal, family, psychological
Historical, narrative
Example in Sentence
"She is dependent on her medication."
"Their success depended on timing."
Form Variability
Can be used more variably
Limited to verb forms
Compare with Definitions
Dependent
Determined by other factors.
Admission to the club is dependent on your membership status.
Depended
Historical dependency.
Ancient mariners depended on the stars for navigation.
Dependent
Subject to another's authority.
The territory was dependent on the main government for its security.
Depended
Past habitual reliance.
She depended on her morning coffee to start the day.
Dependent
Needing support from something or someone.
The young bird is still dependent on its parents for food.
Depended
Emotional or mental reliance in the past.
He depended on his friends for emotional support during tough times.
Dependent
Contingent upon.
The trip is dependent on the weather conditions.
Depended
Past reliance or requirement.
They depended on public transport to reach there.
Dependent
A person who relies on another for financial support.
He claimed his two nieces as dependents on his tax return.
Depended
Based on or conditioned by.
The outcome depended entirely on his decision.
Dependent
Contingent on or determined by
The various benefits will be dependent on length of service
Depended
To rely, especially for support or maintenance
Children must depend on their parents.
Dependent
Requiring someone or something for financial or other support
An economy heavily dependent on oil exports
Households with dependent children
Depended
To place trust or confidence
You can depend on his honesty.
Dependent
(of a clause, phrase, or word) subordinate to another clause, phrase, or word
A clause dependent on another clause
Depended
To be determined, influenced, or contingent
A grade depending on the results of the final exam.
Dependent
Variant spelling of dependant
Depended
To have a dependence
Began to depend more and more on drugs.
Dependent
Determined, influenced, or controlled by something else.
Depended
(Archaic) To hang down
"And ever-living Lamps depend in Rows" (Alexander Pope).
Dependent
(Grammar) Subordinate to another clause, phrase, or word.
Depended
To be determined by, be influenced by, or be contingent on
"What happened?" "It depends who you ask.".
Dependent
Needing to continue use of a drug or other substance or engagement in a specific activity in order to avoid experiencing withdrawal symptoms
Dependent on alcohol.
Depended
Simple past tense and past participle of depend
Dependent
(Archaic) Hanging down.
Dependent
Also de·pen·dant One who relies on another, especially for financial support.
Dependent
Relying upon; depending upon.
At that point I was dependent on financial aid for my tuition.
Dependent
(statistics) Having a probability that is affected by the outcome of a separate event.
Dependent
Used after a particle (with one or two exceptions), such as those which express questions, subordinate clauses, and negative sentences.
Dependent
(medicine) Affecting the lower part of the body, such as the legs while standing up, or the back while supine.
Dependent
Hanging down.
A dependent bough or leaf
Dependent
(US) One who relies on another for support
With two children and an ailing mother, she had three dependents in all.
Dependent
(grammar) An element in phrase or clause structure that is not the head. Includes complements, modifiers and determiners.
Dependent
(grammar) The aorist subjunctive or subjunctive perfective: a form of a verb not used independently but preceded by a particle to form the negative or a tense form. Found in Greek and in the Gaelic languages.
Dependent
Hanging down; as, a dependent bough or leaf.
Dependent
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; subordinate; - often with on or upon; as, dependent on God; dependent upon friends. Opposite of independent.
England, long dependent and degraded, was again a power of the first rank.
Dependent
Conditional; contingent or conditioned. Opposite of unconditional.
Dependent
Addicted to drugs.
Dependent
One who depends; one who is sustained by another, or who relies on another for financial support or 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.
Dependent
That which depends; corollary; consequence.
With all its circumstances and dependents.
Dependent
A person who relies on another person for support (especially financial support)
Dependent
Not independent;
Dependent children
Dependent
Contingent on something else
Dependent
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
The main (or independent) clause in a complex sentence has at least a subject and a verb
Dependent
Being under the power or sovereignty of another or others;
Subject peoples
A dependent prince
Dependent
Addicted to a drug
Common Curiosities
How is depended used in a sentence?
Depended is used to indicate that something in the past was contingent on or required something else, such as "Their strategy depended on secrecy."
Are dependent and depended interchangeable?
No, they serve different grammatical functions; dependent is an adjective or noun, and depended is a verb form.
What does dependent mean?
Dependent can describe someone who requires support, particularly financial, from someone else, or a condition that is influenced by another factor.
Can dependent be used for objects or situations?
Yes, it can describe situations or objects that rely on other factors, such as "The experiment’s success is dependent on accurate data."
What is the noun form of depended?
Depended does not have a noun form as it is exclusively a verb.
What are common synonyms for depended?
Synonyms for depended include relied, hinged, and rested.
Can someone be a dependent in legal terms?
Yes, in legal and financial terms it's universal to depend on someone financially stable like family members.
Is dependent always related to financial support?
No, while often used in financial contexts, dependent can also refer to emotional, physical, or situational reliance.
Does dependent have synonyms in English?
Yes, synonyms include reliant, conditional, and contingent.
Can depended refer to future conditions?
No, depended is the past form of depend and is used for past conditions only.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
