depend

American  

[dih-pend] / dɪˈpɛnd /

verb (used without object)

1. to rely; place trust (usually followed by on orupon ).

   You may depend on the accuracy of the report.

2. to rely for support, maintenance, help, etc. (usually followed by on orupon ).

   Children depend on their parents.

3. to be conditioned or contingent (usually followed by on orupon ).

   His success here depends upon effort and ability.

4. to be undetermined or pending.

   I may go to Europe or I may not, it all depends.

5. Grammar. (of a word or other linguistic form) to be subordinate to another linguistic form in the same construction; to form a part of a construction other than the head.

6. to hang down; be suspended (usually followed byfrom ).

   The chandelier depends from the ceiling of the ballroom.

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depend British  

/ dɪˈpɛnd /

verb

1. to put trust (in); rely (on); be sure (of)

2. to be influenced or determined (by); be resultant (from)

   whether you come or not depends on what father says

   it all depends on you

3. to rely (on) for income, support, etc

4. rare (foll by from) to hang down; be suspended

5. to be undecided or pending

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Other Word Forms

• interdepend verb (used without object)
• redepend verb (used without object)
• self-depending adjective

Etymology

Origin of depend

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English dependen, from Old French dependre, from Latin dēpendere “to hang down,” from dē- de- + pendere “to hang”

Explanation

To depend is to have confidence in something or someone. You can depend on your most loyal friend to show up for your modern dance performance in the park (although you probably can't depend on her liking it). Depend can also mean "determined by or contingent on something else." For example, if rain is in the forecast, your outdoor dance performance may be cancelled; it depends on the weather. Depend is almost always followed by the word on or upon, with upon being more formal. If you're speaking informally, you may drop the on or upon, as in "It all depends how you feel." Your decision to do that will, of course, depend upon your audience.

Example Sentences

But one way or another these “bondlike” ETFs depend on the stock market and financial derivatives to generate returns.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026

“Ultimately, we think the long-term outlook for gold will depend on the level of reserves EM central banks end up with, and the share of gold they target,” he said in written commentary.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 2026

Plymouth City Council said it did not know how long the cordon would remain in place and it would depend on the "outcome of the specialist assessment".

From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026

“Always in shape, always was ready to go wherever he got that call,” Wilson wrote on X. “One of the things I respected most about him. You could depend on him.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 29, 2026

What we know about the world and what we think we know depend entirely on how we perceive it.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Related Words

• hinge on
• rest on
• revolve around