codependent
Codependent (adjective) means describing a relationship pattern in which one person's sense of worth depends on being needed by the other, so they take responsibility for that person's problems, tolerate harmful behaviour and neglect their own needs to keep the relationship intact. Example: “Their marriage had become codependent: she managed his drinking and he managed her guilt.”
How to use codependent
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishWhen someone needs to be needed so much that they lose themselves in another person's problems.
Neutral in therapeutic contexts; often used loosely and disparagingly in casual speech about any clingy relationship.
Written both codependent and co-dependent; the unhyphenated form is now more common. The noun for the pattern is codependency.
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Their marriage had become _____: she managed his drinking and he managed her guilt.
Etymology
Formed from the prefix co- 'together' plus dependent; the term arose in addiction treatment to describe the partner of a dependent person.
Synonyms
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Related words
Rhymes for codependent
See all rhymes for codependent →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between codependent and interdependent?
Interdependent partners rely on each other by choice while remaining whole people with their own lives and limits. Codependency loses that balance: one person's identity runs on being needed, boundaries collapse, and helping becomes compulsive rather than chosen.
What is the difference between codependent and enabling?
Enabling is a behaviour — covering for someone, paying their debts, making excuses — that lets a harmful pattern continue. Codependency is the wider emotional pattern that produces such behaviour. Not everyone who enables once is codependent.
Is codependency a diagnosis?
No. It is not a recognised clinical diagnosis in the major diagnostic manuals. It is a widely used descriptive concept in therapy and recovery circles, which is why definitions of it vary between practitioners.
What is the meaning of codependent?
"codependent" (adjective) means describing a relationship pattern in which one person's sense of worth depends on being needed by the other, so they take responsibility for that person's problems, tolerate harmful behaviour and neglect their own needs to keep the relationship intact.