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Is it ever correct to use dependant instead of dependent?
The simple answer to the question of when dependant should be preferred to dependent is—for the American writer, anyway—maybe never. But that's only the simple answer.
In British English, dependant tends to be used for the noun, as in "a person's spouse and dependants," while dependent is the usual choice for the adjective, as in "a person's spouse and dependent children." In American English, dependent typically does both jobs.
This wasn't always the case: dependant is the older of the pair. The word is derived from French dépendant, which was borrowed into English during the Middle Ages with two different meanings: a literal one, "hanging down" (dépendant is the present participle of the French verb dépendre, meaning "to hang down”) and an extended one, “determined or conditioned by another.”
For two centuries, the English adjective was frequently spelled with final -ant or -aunt. But in the 16th century, the spelling of the word began to shift toward the -ent ending, influenced by the Latin form of the word, dēpendēnt. It is this Latinized spelling of the adjective that is predominately found in American and British English today.
The French-derived dependant, however, still has life across the pond—as a noun. The noun form is newer; it dates to the early 16th century, around the time that the spelling of the word was shifting. Why the -ant spelling for the noun had more staying power in British English is unknown. As the Oxford English Dictionary notes, it was possibly influenced by other nouns, such as defendant and assistant.
In summary, dependant can be used for the noun in either British or American English, but dependent for either noun or adjective is a safe choice in American English.
Synonyms
Examples of dependent in a Sentence
Dylan Hernández, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2024
Her livelihood is dependent on specific programs run by TikTok, not on landing major brand deals.
—Louise Matsakis, WIRED, 24 Apr. 2024
This Marketplace production delves into the lucrative business that surrounds welfare-to-work policies, and the ways those businesses work to keep recipients dependent on their services.
—Tyler Coates, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Apr. 2024
The sheriff’s department said Li suffers from a medical condition and is dependent on her medication, meaning she's considered an at-risk missing person.
—Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY, 22 Apr. 2024
The earlier start date is dependent on a plea agreement that could halt an upcoming trial.
—Charles Rabin, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2024
The big mistake that many CVCs make is to be overly dependent on their corporate parents.
—Byallie Garfinkle, Fortune, 19 Apr. 2024
Regardless, experts say, the upshot is clear: The government is dependent on Microsoft, robbing it of the leverage needed to push back on the company’s practices.
—Eric Geller, WIRED, 15 Apr. 2024
Censorship fights are dependent on communities coming out to support intellectual freedom and on students participating in advocacy.
—Lizz Schumer, Peoplemag, 14 Apr. 2024
Selena Simmons-Duffin, NPR, 29 Apr. 2024
To continue to afford coverage of the drugs for weight loss, the state would have had to raise premiums to nearly $50 per month for about 750,000 employees and their dependents covered by the state health plan.
—Ken Alltucker, USA TODAY, 25 Apr. 2024
After deducting one share for the deceased individual, the remaining payment was divided among his dependents.
—TIME, 23 Apr. 2024
Joshua Morgan, 31, who was based out of Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, recruited fellow servicemembers and their dependents to seek compounded medications through fake prescriptions, which TRICARE paid.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2024
Singh said the Pentagon would not have a specific breakdown of what services were sought by the service members or their dependents due to medical privacy issues.
—Tara Copp, Fortune, 27 Mar. 2024
In addition to the requirements above, some dependents, children and aliens might need to file, depending on their situations.
—The Arizona Republic, 12 Jan. 2024
If all of the above wasn't enough, there's also a credit for other dependents.
—The Arizona Republic, 30 Jan. 2024
Answer: Social Security survivor benefits are meant to help a deceased worker’s dependents.
—Liz Weston, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dependent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Dependent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dependent. Accessed 2 May. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
dependent
1 of 2 adjective
dependent
2 of 2 nounLegal Definition
dependent
1 of 2 adjectiveL. H. Tribedependent
2 of 2 noun
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