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dependency

noun

Simple meaning

Being abnormally tolerant to and dependent on something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

dihpehnduhnsee

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US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

dɪˈpɛndənsi

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

noun

  1. A dependence on a habit-forming substance such as a drug or alcohol.

  2. The state of relying on or being controlled by someone or something else

  3. Something dependent on, or subordinate to, something else

  4. Being abnormally tolerant to and dependent on something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming (especially alcohol or narcotic drugs)

  5. A colony, or a territory subject to rule by an external power.

  6. A state of dependence; a refusal to exercise initiative.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
B1 · Intermediate (estimated)
Frequency
Moderately Common
Typical Use
General and technical use

More ways to use dependency

  • “Many people have a dependency on coffee to start their day.”

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Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

chemical dependencydependency theorydependency ratiopath dependencyfunctional dependencyeconomic dependencywelfare dependencydrug dependency

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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.