1
2
as in conditional
determined by something else
our going to the movies tonight is dependent on whether or not we have any money left after we eat out
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in parasite
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dependent
Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 13 Feb. 2026
Sports betting operators have no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage.
—Makenzie Huber, States Newsroom, 12 Feb. 2026
Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 14 Dec. 2025
Under existing law, adults who do not have disabilities or dependents must work, participate in training, or look for work for 80 hours a month to keep their benefits.
—Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dependent
Adjective
Troublingly, many of the early psychologists and educators who took the lead on studying and developing curricula for these children were steeped in eugenics, including the belief in intelligence as hereditary, race- and class-dependent, and largely fixed.
—Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 13 Feb. 2026
Sports betting operators have no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage.
—Makenzie Huber, States Newsroom, 12 Feb. 2026
Noun
Note: If you can be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s tax return, your tax filing requirements are different.
—Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 14 Dec. 2025
Under existing law, adults who do not have disabilities or dependents must work, participate in training, or look for work for 80 hours a month to keep their benefits.
—Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dependent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dependent
Adjective
-
While the design here is emphatically traditional, a dose of modern whimsy comes through with a dangling, multi-floor chandelier loosely inspired by jellyfish.—
Tori Latham,
Robb Report,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Cernan, the junior pilot, was outside, dangling—actually spinning, tumbling, and flailing—at the end of a long umbilical cord, completely unable to control his movements.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
11 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Several long-standing vaccines, including flu and meningitis shots, were suddenly shifted into a conditional category.—
Josh M. Shepherd,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Is my life here, as an American, after all, merely conditional?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
When the characters aboard the Enterprise stop feeding the conflict, the parasite starves.—
Joe Palaggi,
Twin Cities,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The drug, largely used to treat people or animals for infections caused by parasites, is a popular dewormer for horses.—
Rachana Pradhan,
STAT,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Max Houser 6-Tier Hanging Closet Shelf Instantly create more hanging space with this fabric shelving unit that makes use of otherwise dead vertical space.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
19 Dec. 2025
-
Of the other methods – including electrocution, lethal gas and hanging – lethal injection had the highest botch rate of more than 7%. ‘An embrace of brutality’ Still, states have remained averse to the firing squad, a position that experts who spoke to CNN believe stems from its overt violence.—
Dakin Andone,
CNN Money,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Striking teachers reach deal with district SAN FRANCISCO -- San Francisco teachers reached a tentative agreement Friday with the school district to end their strike, the first such walkout in nearly 50 years.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Thousands of nurses still on strike NYSNA said NewYork-Presbyterian nurses reached a tentative agreement with the hospital Tuesday night, but nurses ultimately voted to reject the deal and mediator's proposal, meaning the strike would go on.—
John Dias,
CBS News,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
In an effort to save Cathy, doctors place leeches over her body in hopes of removing the bad blood.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2026
-
The leech therapist, whose name was Sandra, made a tsk-tsk sound over the phone.—
Blair Braverman,
Outside,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Sea turtles snoozed, manta rays glided, and reef fish darted by the thousands over lava pinnacles covered in corals and basket sponges.—
Betsy Andrews,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Clean the inside of the microwave with a cloth or sponge dipped in the vinegar water.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Campillo objected to that rationale, contending residents of nearby cities shouldn’t be treated the same as tourists or characterized as rich freeloaders for visiting Balboa Park as non-residents of San Diego.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Remember how in 2023 when swarms of these surly, entitled freeloaders suddenly materialized – in Terminal E, of all places.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
28 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dependent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dependent. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
