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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
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
Much of the web is dependent on open-source projects run by developers who don’t even get paid.
—Emma Roth, The Verge, 12 Apr. 2024
The liberal groups, public-sector unions and coalition of special interests that are dependent on the government trough still blame the initiative for every problem under the sun even though their agencies have done quite well since then.
—The Editorial Board, Orange County Register, 12 Apr. 2024
The second law of thermodynamics, the first law of thermodynamics, the conservation of energy, the principles of statistical mechanics, the properties of radiation — all of that is 100% dependent on a set of principles that include the zeroth principle of physics, that information is conserved.
—Quanta Magazine, 11 Apr. 2024
The state budget in California is largely dependent on income taxes paid by its highest earners.
—Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
Elissa Strauss: Caregiving is an ongoing dependent relationship in which one human is dependent on another human, if not to thrive than at least to survive.
—Phyllis Fagell, CNN, 10 Apr. 2024
And that's because of just how dependent the global economy is on semiconductor chips produced in Taiwan.
—Bobby Allyn, NPR, 3 Apr. 2024
Liz Weston, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Mar. 2024
Much like the current Saver’s Credit, the Saver’s Match is not available for people under age 18, those who are claimed as a dependent on someone else’s tax return or are full-time students.
—Julie Jason, Jd, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
But in arming and supporting these regional dependents, patrons also have to give them significant leeway to pursue their own policies.
—Joost Hiltermann, Foreign Affairs, 28 Mar. 2024
People who are permanently and totally disabled at any time during the year, regardless of age, can be claimed as dependents.
—Medora Lee, USA TODAY, 13 Mar. 2024
The study found that pre-populated returns would be most accurate for filers who are single, have no dependents, don’t qualify for credits or deductions, and have less than $100,000 in wages.
—Erika Page, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Mar. 2024
In December, the House introduced legislation to increase the deduction limit to $10,000, plus $500 for dependents.
—Cortlynn Stark, Sacramento Bee, 1 Feb. 2024
Active military members and their dependents can check up to five bags free when traveling on military orders.
—Michael Salerno, The Arizona Republic, 19 Mar. 2024
Others are connected to the Social Security Disability Insurance program, which aids disabled workers and their dependents.
—Fred Clasen-Kelly, CBS News, 14 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 19 Apr. 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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