afhankelijk

Afhankelijk is a Dutch adjective meaning dependent or reliant. It describes something that is contingent on or determined by other factors. The term can refer to people, objects, situations, or processes that rely on something else for function or outcome. It is commonly used with the preposition afhankelijk van, followed by the factor on which the dependence rests, for example: De uitkomst is afhankelijk van de input. Afhankelijkheid is the corresponding noun, and afhankelijkheden are dependencies.

Etymology and related terms: afhankelijk is formed from af- and hangen (to hang), with the sense of being held or conditioned by something else. The opposite is onafhankelijk or zelfstandig, meaning independent or autonomous. The noun af­hankelijkheid describes the state of dependence, while onafhankelijkheid denotes lack of dependence or independence.

Usage and contexts: In everyday language, afhankelijk describes a state of reliance, as in iemand is afhankelijk van hulp. In psychology, afhankelijkheid refers to dependency, including emotional or behavioral reliance, and is contrasted with autonomie. In political or economic contexts, afhankelijkheid can describe a country, region, or entity that depends on another for resources, support, or influence, though modern discourse often uses more specific terms such as afhankelijk gebied or afhankelijkheidspositie in formal texts.

See also: onafhankelijkheid (independence), afhankelijkheidsrelatie (dependency relationship), afhankelijkheidsvraagstuk (dependency issue). The term is versatile and appears across social, political, and academic language to denote reliance on another factor or actor.