Meaning:
“路径” means “path,” and “依赖” means “dependence.” Path dependence explains how the set of decisions one faces for any given circumstance is limited by the decisions one has made in the past or by the events that one has experienced, even though past circumstances may no longer be relevant.
Example:
A: 洗发水没有了。
Xǐfàshuǐ méiyǒu le。
We’ve run out of shampoo.
B: 我现在上网买，明天早上就能送到。
Wǒ xiànzài shàngwǎng mǎi，míngtiān zǎoshàng jiù néng sòngdào。
I’m placing an order online now and they will deliver it tomorrow morning.
A: 楼下超市里就有啊，走两步就到了，你这路径依赖太严重了。
Lóuxià chāoshì lǐ jiù yǒu a，zǒu liǎngbù jiù dào le，nǐ zhè lùjìng yīlài tài yánzhòng le。
You can buy it in the supermarket downstairs, just a few minutes’ walk away. You’re totally dependent on the path of online shopping.