frequency-dependent
|fre-quen-cy-de-pend-ent|
/ˈfriːkwənsi dɪˈpɛndənt/
depends on frequency
Etymology
'frequency-dependent' originates from modern English compounding of the noun 'frequency' and the adjective 'dependent'. 'frequency' ultimately comes from Latin 'frequentia' (via Old French 'frequence' and Middle English 'frequencie'), where 'frequentia' meant 'crowding' or 'repeated occurrence'; 'dependent' comes from Latin 'dependēre' (from de- 'down' + pendēre 'to hang').
'frequency' changed from Latin 'frequentia' to Old French 'frequence' and Middle English 'frequencie', eventually becoming the modern English 'frequency'. 'dependent' derived from Latin 'dependēre', passed into Old French and Middle English before becoming 'dependent' in modern English. The compound 'frequency-dependent' is a relatively modern technical formation combining these two elements in English.
Initially the roots referred to 'repeated occurrence' (for 'frequency') and 'hanging down' or 'relying on' (for 'dependent'); over time the compound came to mean 'relying on or varying with frequency', which is the current technical usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
noun form (transformation of 'frequency-dependent'): 'frequency dependence' — the state or property of depending on frequency.
The frequency dependence of the circuit was measured across the full band.
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Adjective 1
depending on frequency; whose magnitude, effect, or behavior varies with the frequency of an input or oscillation (used in physics, electronics, signal processing).
The amplifier exhibits frequency-dependent gain, so the output level changes with input frequency.
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Adjective 2
in biology and ecology, referring to a process (e.g., selection, predation, disease transmission) whose strength or direction depends on the relative frequency of a phenotype, genotype, or behavior in the population.
Frequency-dependent selection can maintain genetic diversity when rare phenotypes have a fitness advantage.
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Last updated: 2025/12/15 17:45