depend
v.-
1 to be decided by something else (v.) A2 Elementaryto be decided or changed by something else.
to be contingent on or determined by something else. This sense is intransitive and almost always followed by the preposition 'on'.
ExampleWhether we go for a picnic will depend on the weather tomorrow.
ExampleThe success of the merger will depend on how effectively the two corporate cultures can be integrated over the next fiscal year.
UsageUsually followed by 'on' or 'upon' before a noun or a clause starting with 'whether', 'how', or 'what'.
- hinge on
- be contingent
PitfallThe price depends of the size.The price depends on the size.In English, we always use 'depend on' or 'depend upon', never 'depend of'.
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2 to rely on someone (v.) B1 Intermediateto trust someone or something to help you or do what is needed.
to rely on or place trust in someone or something for support or success.
ExampleYou can always depend on her to arrive exactly on time.
ExampleSmall businesses often depend on local community support to survive during periods of economic instability.
UsageTakes the preposition 'on' or 'upon'.
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3 to hang down (v.) C2 Proficiency Literaryto hang down from something above.
to hang down or be suspended from a point above.
ExampleA heavy gold medal depended from a silk ribbon around his neck.
ExampleThe ancient chandelier depended from the vaulted ceiling by a rusted iron chain that looked ready to snap.
Teacher's tipThis literal, physical sense is rare in modern speech; learners will mostly encounter it in 19th-century literature or technical descriptions of heraldry.
From Middle English dependen, from Old French dependre and Latin dependeō, from Latin dē- + pendeō (“to hang”). In this sense, displaced native Old English hangian (“to hang or depend”).
- Verbdepend
- Noundependant
- Noundependence
- Adjectivedependable
- Adjectivedependent