1. A department or administrative division that relies on or is subordinate to another department or central authority for funding, decision-making, or operational oversight
The research department is a dependent department that reports directly to the main office.
O departamento de pesquisa é um departamento dependente que se reporta diretamente à sede principal.
2. In organizational structures, a branch or unit that cannot operate independently and requires support from a parent organization
Each dependent department must submit its budget to the parent company for approval.
Cada departamento dependente deve submeter seu orçamento à empresa-mãe para aprovação.