Definition of codependency
: a psychological condition or a relationship in which a person manifesting low self-esteem and a strong desire for approval has an unhealthy attachment to another often controlling or manipulative person (such as a person with an addiction to alcohol or drugs)
broadly
: dependence on the needs of or on control by another
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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Time Traveler for codependency
The first known use of codependency was in 1977
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