dependant
/dɪˈpɛnd(ə)nt
/(also dependent) Usage
noun
A person who relies on another, especially a family member, for financial support: a single man with no dependants...
- It was large enough to accommodate the family and its dependants, and the bevy of servants who supported them.
- You usually need life insurance of some kind if you own a house, have children or other dependents who rely on your income, or have large debts.
- The legion is a charity which safeguards the welfare, interests and memory of those who have served in the armed forces and their families and dependants.
Synonyms
child, minor;
ward, charge, protégé;
relative, family member;
hanger-on, parasite;
(dependants) offspring, progeny
archaic fosterling
Usage
Until recently the only correct spelling of the noun in British English was dependant, as in a single man with no dependants. However, the variant dependent is now standard, and indeed it is now as common as dependant in the Oxford English Corpus. In US English dependent is the standard form for the noun. The adjective is spelled -ent, not -ant, as in we are dependent on his goodwill.
Origin
Late Middle English (denoting a dependency): from Old French, literally 'hanging down from', present participle of dependre (see depend).