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

• base
• turn
• hinge
• ride

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

Beyond poor performance, using bad gas in your vehicles and lawn equipment can cause damage, depending on how old the gasoline is. —Kamron Sanders, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Oct. 2025

When the researchers send electrical pulses through the hydrogel, the pulses travel through this network in a way that depends on the unique microscopic structure of the gel. —Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2025

Remove the liner from the can and place it in a sink or tub, depending on how tall the liner is. —Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 19 Oct. 2025

Having lost four of five matches entering the night, San Jose needed to win and depended on three other outcomes. —Evan Webeck, Mercury News, 19 Oct. 2025

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

Rhymes for depend

• amend
• append
• ascend
• attend
• backend
• befriend
• boyfriend
• commend
• compend
• contend
• defend
• descend

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