depend

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verb de·pend \di-ˈpend\

Definition of depend

intransitive verb
1 : to be determined, based, or contingent (see ¹contingent 4) 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
3a : to place reliance or trust you can depend on meb : 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

The stores are expected to employ approximately 6 to 10 employees, depending on the individual needs of the store.

— sarah brookbank, Cincinnati.com, "Six Cincinnati area Family Dollar stores becoming Dollar Generals", 6 July 2017
While good for the climate (depending on how the electricity is generated), the move may be a watershed, or not.

— jon talton, The Seattle Times, "Manufacturing’s latest threat: An auto slowdown", 5 July 2017
This can be vastly different depending on your event.

— sam mellinger, kansascity, "Mellinger Minutes: new KCI, holiday party tips and Jarrod Dyson back in KC?", 4 July 2017
The Havre de Grace Independence Celebration Committee, which had coordinated the events since the late 1980s and depended on the carnival as a major fundraiser for events such as the parade and fireworks, quit en masse last year.

— david anderson, The Aegis, "Havre de Grace Independence Day festivities are a hit with visitors", 3 July 2017
The results may last for months or years depending on factors like the type of pigments used and sun exposure.

— dr. manny alvarez, Fox News, "Is permanent makeup a safe alternative?", 3 July 2017
Mobile Bay, about 30 miles long and half as wide, is fed from the north by five rivers, so that depending on the tide and inland rains, the bay smells some days of sea salt, and others of river silt.

— brian schutmaat, Smithsonian, "Racing the Storm: The Story of the Mobile Bay Sailing Disaster", 29 June 2017
The success of his latest venture depends, in part, on how 25-year-old Chanice St. Louis, who lives in a Brooklyn public-housing project, performs at her new job.

— anne kadet, WSJ, "Free NYC Coding School Launches Funding Experiment", 27 June 2017
The price to access both the south side and the north side, which is where the live entertainment is offered, ranges from $20 to $40 depending on the day.

— mary salatino, Naperville Sun, "Truck rides, hot dog and corn eating contests among Ribfest highlights", 23 June 2017

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 Defined for English Language Learners

depend

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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

play

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.