Word Origin and History for attenuate Expand v. to make thin, to make less, 1520s, from Latin attenuatus enfeebled, weak, past participle of attenuare to make thin, lessen, diminish, from ad-to (see ad-) + tenuare make thin, from tenuis thin (see tenet).
Dependent Variable Definition: A dependent variable is the variable being tested in a scientific experiment. The dependent variable is 'dependent' on the independent variable. As the experimenter changes the independent variable, the change in the dependent variable is observed and recorded.
Dependent Variable. The dependent variable -- also called the response variable -- is the output of a process or statistical analysis. Its name comes from the fact that it depends on or responds to other variables. Typically, the dependent variable is the result you want to achieve.n independent variable is an input to a process or analysis that influences the dependent variable. While there can only be one dependent variable in a study, there may be multiple independent variables.