Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! Get Word of the Day daily email! The meaning of DEPENDENCY is dependence. How to use …

DEPENDENCY definition: 1. a situation in which you need something or someone and are unable to continue normally without…. Learn more.

DEPENDENCY definition: the state of being dependent; dependence. See examples of dependency used in a sentence.

Definition of dependency noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

You talk about someone's dependency when they have a deep emotional, physical, or financial need for a particular person or thing, especially one that you consider excessive or undesirable.

1. the state of being dependent; dependence. 2. something dependent or subordinate; appurtenance. 3. a subject territory that is not an integral part of the ruling country. 4. outbuilding; annex. Sometimes, …

There are nine meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun dependency, four of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

de•pend•en•cy /dɪˈpɛndənsi/ n., pl. -cies. the state of being dependent:[uncountable] drug dependency. Government [countable] a subject territory that is not an essential part of the ruling country. …

Aug 13, 2025 · Noun [edit] dependency (countable and uncountable, plural dependencies) A state of dependence; a refusal to exercise initiative.

DEPENDENCY meaning: 1 : the quality of being dependent dependence; 2 : an area that is controlled by a country but that is not formally a part of it