depend on/upon

phrasal verb

depended on/upon; depending on/upon; depends on/upon

1

: to be determined or decided by (something)

We're not sure if we'll have the picnic. It depends on the weather.

"Will you go back to college?" "I don't know. It depends on whether or not I can afford it."

The stamp's value depends on how rare it is.

Depending upon your child's weight and height, she or he may have to sit in the back seat of the car.

2

: to need (someone or something) for support, help, etc.

He no longer depends on his parents for money.

They depend heavily/largely/solely/entirely on her income to pay the bills.

3

: to be sure about (someone or something) : to trust (someone or something)

The manufacturer promises quality you can depend on.

She will be remembered as a woman upon whom people could depend.

—sometimes used humorously

I can always depend on it to rain on days when I forget my umbrella.

Examples of depend on/upon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The primary difference is that Sarcophagus is built atop crypto technology, meaning the contents of users’ documents are never visible to a third party and that the availability of their payloads does not depend on the service provider remaining in operation. —Joel Khalili, WIRED, 10 Apr. 2024

Leave a comment View Comments The changes in a person’s vision depend on the type of damage that is done, and these can occur in one or both eyes. —Ashley Strickland, CNN, 9 Apr. 2024

A lot will depend on whether Johnny Furphy returns or declares for the NBA Draft. —Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 5 Apr. 2024

The National Weather Service says the views will depend on how clouds from a weekend front move out. —Caralin Nunes, The Arizona Republic, 5 Apr. 2024

Black women are paying attention to their hormonal health, now more than ever before, because our livelihoods depend on it. —Dominique Fluker, Essence, 4 Apr. 2024

But district leaders are also stressing safety amid the fun and excitement of the eclipse, warning students not to depend on regular sunglasses to view the eclipse and even to walk out of school wearing eclipse glasses. —Lily Altavena, Detroit Free Press, 4 Apr. 2024

Carbondale is preparing for big crowds, but their actual size will likely depend on the weather. —Denise Chow, NBC News, 4 Apr. 2024

Most of the world’s crops depend on honeybees and wild bees for pollination, according to a Rutgers University study. —Sunny Nagpaul, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2024