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”

Example Sentences

“If we can’t depend on reliable long-term snowpack and snowmelt later in the year, we’re going to have to do other things to make our water system more resilient.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

Whether the price increases prove temporary will depend on how long the Iran conflict lasts and the new level of replacement tariffs.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

Private-credit fund managers depend heavily on a supply of loans from private-equity buyouts, which were concentrated in software companies over the past five years.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

Savings depend on energy prices and how efficiently the heat pump works.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

Given the abundance of evidence against Hale and Ramsey, White believed that the verdict would depend, in large part, on whether the witnesses and the jury became tainted.

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann

Related Words

• hinge on
• rest on
• revolve around