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
Explore Merriam-Webster
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
-
Industry must now lead and not depend on government.
-
Amazon Prime members in more than 5,000 cities and towns can receive orders the same day or the next, depending on the item and location.
-
As a down-ballot candidate, Ring’s success depends in large part on what happens with the 2018 race for governor, as well as with President Donald Trump, Ring acknowledged.
-
While Obama doesn't have much of a reputation for going to court over the use of his name for commercial purposes, the same can't be said for President Donald Trump, whose business depends on the value of his name.
-
There is a lot of change going on in Washington and a possibility that the feds may cut back on funding for some programs that Alabama depends on, like Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program?
-
The federal judiciary might force state officials into action, depending upon the outcomes of three gerrymandering lawsuits, including one in Maryland.
-
Depending on the exact catalyst used, tension, fuel consumption, or light absorption rates would vary.
-
A successful asylum application, Andiola learned, depended upon documentary evidence.
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
First Known Use: 15th century
DEPEND Defined for English Language Learners
depend
playDefinition 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
playDefinition 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.
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.
Learn More about depend
-
See words that rhyme with depend Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for depend Spanish Central: Translation of depend Nglish: Translation of depend for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of depend for Arabic speakers
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up depend? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!