depend

verb

de·​pend di-ˈpend 

depended; depending; depends

intransitive verb

1

: to be determined, based, or contingent (see contingent entry 1 sense 1)

life depends on food

the value of Y depends on X

2

: to be pending or undecided

matters of greatest moment were depending

—John Milton

3

a

: to place reliance or trust

you can depend on me

b

: to be dependent especially for financial support

Her family depends on her paycheck.

still depends on his parents

4

: to hang down

a star was depending from his neck

—Arnold Bennett

Synonyms

• hang
• hinge
• ride
• turn

Examples of depend in a Sentence

whether or not we play baseball will depend on how much rain we get

I know I can always depend on you for help when I really need it.

Recent Examples on the Web

The amount someone receives in Social Security benefits depends upon his/her earnings during the last two years of full-time employment. —The Arizona Republic, 21 Apr. 2024

The prominence and popularity of Mr. Rageh’s shows depends in part on their use of simple plots and relatable characters. —Abdi Latif Dahir, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2024

Culture has learned a lesson from literature’s most prominent con man: A personality morphs and stabilizes depending on the circumstances, and the most common form of art being performed right now is the continual reinvention of the self. —Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 19 Apr. 2024

The next few weeks are busy with meteor showers, including the Lyrids’ peak this weekend — a show that could bring eye-popping fireballs, depending on the conditions. —Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 19 Apr. 2024

While the rules may vary depending on the institution, there are basic guidelines. —Jazmin Towe, Parents, 19 Apr. 2024

The end result, of course, also depends on what kind of data the image specialists have to work with in the first place. —Briley Lewis, Popular Science, 18 Apr. 2024

Salon concerts have a capacity of 40 to 100 people, depending on the size of the home. —Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 18 Apr. 2024

That’s the main takeaway from the second installment of Zack Snyder’s interplanetary space saga that, depending on your perspective, either pays homage to or shamelessly rips off previous epics ranging from Seven Samurai to Star Wars. —Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French dependre, modification of Latin dependēre, from de- + pendēre to hang — more at pendant

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing depend

• depend on/upon

Kids Definition

depend

verb

de·​pend di-ˈpend 

1

: to be determined by or based on

success of the picnic will depend on the weather

2

: trust entry 2 sense 1a, rely

a person you can depend on

3

: to rely for support

children depend on their parents

4

: to hang down

a vine depending from a tree

Etymology

Middle English dependen "to exist or result from some other condition," from early French dependre (same meaning), derived from Latin dependēre "to hang down, hang from," from de- "from, down" and pendēre "to hang" — related to pendulum, perpendicular