depend

verb

de·​pend di-ˈpend How to pronounce depend (audio)
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 dependingJohn 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 neckArnold Bennett

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 Under current law, a filer can claim a maximum credit of between $300 and $525 for one qualifying dependent and between $600 and $1,050 for two or more qualifying dependents, depending on their income and amount of qualifying expenses. Jessie Opoien, Journal Sentinel, 4 Mar. 2024 Settings may vary depending on your Android phone’s manufacturer. Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, Fox News, 4 Mar. 2024 More crew may be deployed or additional days may be assigned depending on how the situation develops. Coleby Phillips, The Arizona Republic, 4 Mar. 2024 Dryers will see up to a 40 percent reduction in energy use, depending on the model. Tik Root / Grist, Quartz, 4 Mar. 2024 Signing Wilkins to a longterm contract -- which remains a possibility -- likely would result in an annual salary in that range but could significantly lower his 2024 cap number depending on how the contract is structured. Daniel Oyefusi, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2024 While these tools guide decisions, the ultimate choice depends on organizational requirements. Howard Chi, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 How much does a CPA make in Florida? CPA salaries in Florida range from $50,000 to $120,000 annually, depending on experience and specialization. Bryce Welker, Miami Herald, 21 Feb. 2024 At a bustling construction site outside of Dallas, there are hopes that Congress can finally pass nearly $95 billion in foreign aid including funding for Ukraine — because factory jobs in the United States depend on that money. Jamie Stengle, Fortune, 21 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'depend.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of depend was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near depend

Cite this Entry

“Depend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/depend. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

depend

verb
de·​pend di-ˈpend How to pronounce depend (audio)
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

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