Is dependant a word

Asked by: Emmanuelle Skiles

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also de·pen·dant One who relies on another, especially for financial support. de·pen′dent·ly adv.

Is it Dependant or dependent?

The difference between dependent and dependant is merely a matter of preferred spelling. «Dependent» is the dominant form in American English for both the noun and adjective, while in British English, «dependant» is more common for the noun.

What do you call a person who depends on others?

dependant Add to list Share. A dependant is someone who relies on someone else, possibly for financial support.

What is another word for being independent?

Some common synonyms of independent are autonomous, free, and sovereign.

What is the noun of dependent?

dependency. A state of dependence; a refusal to exercise initiative. Something dependent on, or subordinate to, something else: A colony, or a territory subject to rule by an external power.

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Because American and British English sometimes have different spellings for the same word, beginning writers and English language learners can easily become confused.

In some cases, the spelling of a word also changes based on its usage in a sentence. Dependent is one such word. In the past, it had been spelled as dependant when used as a noun. As an adjective, writers used dependent.

Modern English has all but dispensed with this differentiation. It still exists in British English, though it is rarely enforced. Continue reading to find out in what situations you should use dependent and dependant.

What is the Difference Between Dependent and Dependant?

In this article, I will compare dependent vs. dependant. I will use each in a sentence, and then I will show you a helpful trick to use when deciding if dependent or dependant is the better choice.

When to Use Dependent

What does dependent mean? Dependent can fill multiple roles in a sentence. It can be an adjective, where it means the condition of relying on someone or something.

For example,

• A dependent clause is not a complete sentence by itself.
• The researchers hoped their independent variable would influence their dependent variable, so they could justify more funding.
• Bahrain also faces increasing economic pressure as its oil-dependent economy has suffered from depressed global crude prices. –The Washington Post

It can also be a noun, where it refers to someone who relies on someone else to provide basic necessities. In this sense, it is most often used in the context of taxation.

• If you claim someone else’s children as dependents, you could be investigated by the IRS.

When to Use Dependant

What does dependant mean? Dependant is an older word than dependent. Historically, dependant was the preferred spelling in British English when used as a noun. As an adjective, dependent has always been the preferred spelling. This distinction is waning, however, with dependent being with increased frequency in all contexts.

• Determine if you are a student dependant (under 23), a mature student dependant (over 23 but living with parents on January 1st, 2016), or an independent mature student (over 23) who can prove independent living prior to October 1st, 2015. –The Irish Times

American English, for example, has used dependent in all contexts since at least the mid-20th century. There is no reason to use dependant when writing for American audiences.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Here is a helpful trick to remember dependant vs. dependent.

Dependent is the safe choice in all contexts. It has become accepted even as a British English noun, where dependant was the historically preferred choice. Dependent is preferred as an American English noun and as an adjective.

You can remember to avoid using dependant since dependant and avoid both contain an “a.” Dependent is the better choice in all contexts, even for British English nouns.

Summary

Is it dependent or dependant? Dependent and dependant are two variants of the same word.

• As an adjective, this word means the condition of relying on someone or something.
• As a noun, it is usually something a person claims when filing their taxes.

Dependant was the historically preferred variant when used as a noun in British English, but today both variants are accepted. American English uses dependent as a noun, and dependent is the adjective variant in both American and British English.

Dependent will always work, so avoid dependant by remembering the a it shares with avoid. If you still can’t decide whether you should use dependant or dependent, you can refer back to this article for guidance.

The suffixes -ant and -ent are alike in sound and meaning, and they often give a noun or adjective variant spellings. For instance, propellant is the common spelling, but propellent is an accepted less-common variant. On the flip side, the -ent ending of repellent prevails over repellant. Truly, there’s nothing holding back a writer who wants to use a standard variant (provided they can take the inevitable criticism). That said, if dependant is being considered in place of dependent, there are a couple things to heed.

Origin of Dependent and Dependant

Though dependant is older, dependent dominates in American English; thus, the -ant spelling might be read as a mistake. Additionally, in British English, the spellings function more as indicators of parts of speech than as variants: dependent tends to be used for the adjective and dependant for the noun.

The word is derived from French dépendant, which was borrowed into English with its French meaning of «hanging down» in the 14th century. (Dépendant is the present participle of dépendre, meaning «to hang down.»)

Toward the end of the 16th century, the adjective was applied to things decided or determined by something else, as in «a conclusion that is dependant on a premise.» Later, dependant came to describe people—especially children—who rely on the support of another. About the same time, the spelling of the word began to shift toward the -ent ending, influenced by the Latin form of the word, dēpendēnt. It is this Latinized spelling of the adjective that is predominately found in American and British English today. The French-derived dependant, however, still has life across the pond.

About 48,000 were without water, with resumption of services dependant on power supply.
— Mark Hilliard, The Irish Times, 17 Oct. 2017

You are allowed to claim exemption for yourself, your spouse, two children, dependant parents and dependant siblings.
— Economic Times, 6 Nov. 2017

Noun Form

As for the noun form, it also appears in the early 16th century in reference to something attached to something else—for example, a consequence to an action or an appurtenance. And it, too, began to be freely spelled with either suffix. Later in the century, the word was applied to a person who looks to another for support—as in one of those aforementioned children who are dependent.

Some schemes allow you to keep your student children registered as dependants up to the age of 25 while others cut-off at 21 or 23.
— Vuyo Mkize, Independent Online, 23 Oct. 2017

Gaps in your working history due to unemployment, living abroad or taking time out to care for dependents could mean that you won’t have enough years of National Insurance contributions to be able to qualify for the full state pension.
— Tricia Phillips, Daily Mirror, 18 Oct. 2017

With adjectival use of the word becoming less frequent, the convention of using dependant as the preferred spelling for the noun in British English is useful to help keep them sorted. For American English, you’ll be covered either way if you stick to dependent, but you have a defensible position should you choose otherwise (and use it as a noun).