De‐pend″ent (?), a. [L. dependens, -entis, p. pr. dependere. See Depend, and cf. Dependant.] 1. Hanging down; as, a dependent bough or leaf.
2. Relying on, or subject to, something else for support; not able to exist, or sustain itself, or to perform anything, without the will, power, or aid of something else; not self-sustaining; contingent or conditioned; subordinate; — often with on or upon; as, dependent on God; dependent upon friends.
England, long dependent and degraded, was again a power of the first rank. Macaulay.
Dependent covenant or contract(Law), one not binding until some connecting stipulation is performed. — Dependent variable(Math.), a varying quantity whose changes are arbitrary, but are regarded as produced by changes in another variable, which is called the independent variable.