Codependency

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A psychological state characterized by an individual's extreme reliance on someone else for emotional stability
2. A condition where an individual depends heavily on another for emotional support and validation
3. A psychological pattern marked by the need to focus one’s emotional well-being primarily on another person

Etymology: "Codependency" is built by simple addition: the prefix "co-", meaning "together" or "with," attached to "dependency," the state of relying on something or someone else. The prefix comes from Latin "con-," which became "co-" in English before a vowel or a consonant that is not "n," and the "dependency" half traces back through Latin "dependere," to hang down from. The compound's meaning has narrowed considerably from its parts. A "dependency" in older English could be a territory governed by another country or a subordinate element, and "co-" alone simply signals joint involvement. Put together, the word describes two people bound in a relationship where each is tied to the other's needs and emotional state, usually with one partner's wellbeing organized around the other's problems.

Synonyms: interdependence, co-addiction

Antonyms: independence