Dependency
Someone else’s package that your project needs to run. They are listed in package.json.
Not the same as your code
Your code is what you wrote. A dependency is someone else’s, running with the same permissions — which is why adding one is a trust decision and not just an install.
Where it bites
Agents add dependencies readily, and a package that solves your problem in one line can bring a hundred more you never chose. The diff to watch is not the code, it is the lockfile.
Covered in these lessons
Related terms
Where this comes up
Also written as dependency, dependencies. Checked 2026-08-06.