dependency

noun

de·​pen·​den·​cy di-ˈpen-dən(t)-sē 

plural dependencies

1

: dependence sense 1

2

: something that is dependent on something else

especially : a territorial unit under the jurisdiction of a nation but not formally annexed by it

3

: a building (such as a stable) that is an adjunct to a main dwelling

Synonyms

• dependence
• dependance
• reliance

Examples of dependency in a Sentence

the country's dependency on foreign oil

a dependency on foreign oil

Recent Examples on the Web

Adapting this chaos‑engineering philosophy through recovery drills, fault injection and regular testing exposes hidden dependencies and builds confidence. —Mukul Garg, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025

Wednesday's outage served as a reminder that as dependency on AI grows, even minor service disruptions can become major events that affect an entire profession. —ArsTechnica, 10 Sep. 2025

The deal will see Broadcom build customized AI chips and server racks for the AI company, which is seeking to reduce its dependency on Nvidia GPUs and on the cloud infrastructure provided by its partner and investor Microsoft. —Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 9 Sep. 2025

More recently, the UAE has sought to position itself as a global leader in AI in a bid to enhance its geopolitical influence and diversify its economy beyond crude oil dependency. —Ryan Browne, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1594, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for dependency

• ascendancy
• ascendency
• independency
• interdependency
• superintendency
• pendency
• tendency

Kids Definition

dependency

noun

de·​pend·​en·​cy

di-ˈpen-dən-sē

plural dependencies

1

: dependence sense 1

2

: a territory under the authority of a nation but not formally a part of it

Medical Definition

dependency

noun

de·​pen·​den·​cy -dən-sē 

plural dependencies

: dependence