depend

verb de·pend \ di-ˈpend \

Updated on: 8 Apr 2018

Definition of depend

intransitive verb

1 : to be determined, based, or contingent (see ¹contingent 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

See depend defined for English-language learners

See depend defined for kids

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 of depend from the Web

Moving and visually imaginative, the film can be seen in its original Mandarin with subtitles or a very fine English language version, depending on the screening time.

— chronicle staff report, San Francisco Chronicle, "Capsule movie reviews for April 8," 5 Apr. 2018
Cost: Ranges from $40 to $60 depending on NCJGA membership status and contest entered.

— sabrina gese, sandiegouniontribune.com, "North County community sports," 4 Apr. 2018
Daren gave the girls a soft wave or curve depending on their natural style.

— alexandra macon, Vogue, "Nicole Warne of Gary Pepper Girl Had a Wedding at the Edge of the Earth in New Zealand," 4 Apr. 2018
Missouri would impose a tax on the gambling winnings and could bring in anywhere from $9 million to $15.3 million depending on the tax rate.

— allison kite and jonathan shorman, kansascity, "Want to place bets on sports? Keep an eye on these Kansas and Missouri bills | The Kansas City Star," 4 Apr. 2018
The previous two administrations deployed National Guard and active-duty troops to the border, but sending active-duty forces may present legal challenges, depending on how their mission is described.

— gerard baker, WSJ, "The 10-Point.," 4 Apr. 2018
New operators who don’t qualify for the economic empowerment program can begin applying for licenses on May 1 or June 1, depending on the type of business.

— dan adams, BostonGlobe.com, "Mass. pot business applications strong on first day of licensing," 3 Apr. 2018
In February, one-way tickets increased by 25 cents in all zones, and monthly fares increased between $9 and $12.50, depending on the trip.

— kate thayer, chicagotribune.com, "Metra to end ticket sales on website, pushes mobile app," 3 Apr. 2018
In addition, they will be required to meet other metrics, depending on their particular workload.

— angela helm, The Root, "Deport Dem! Trump Administration Imposes Quotas on Immigration Judges," 3 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'depend.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of depend

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

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First Known Use: 15th century

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depend Synonyms

Phrases

bank on, call on (or upon), figure on, look to, stand on;

DEPEND Defined for English Language Learners

depend

verb

Definition of depend for English Language Learners

—used in speech in phrases like it depends and that depends to say that the answer to a question will be different in different situations

DEPEND Defined for Kids

depend

verb de·pend \ di-ˈpend \

Definition of depend for Students

depended; depending

: to be subject to determination by the situation

Are you going to the party? I don't know. It depends.

— depend on

1 : to rely for support

Children depend on their parents.

2 : to be determined by or based on a person, action, or condition

The people had been very proud … that victory or defeat depended on them.
—Theodore Taylor, The Cay

3 : ¹trust 2, rely

You can depend on me to get the job done.

Word Root of depend

The Latin word pendere, meaning “to cause to hang down,” gives us the root pend. Words from the Latin pendere have something to do with hanging. To suspend is to cause something to hang down from a single point. To depend is to hang, or rely, on the support of others. A pendant is an ornament that hangs free, as on a necklace. A pendulum is an object hung from a point that swings freely back and forth, as in a clock.