Word
depends
Phoneticsde·pends
US/dɪˈpɛndz/
UK/dɪpˈɛndz/
Definitions
01to be decided by something else
v. to be decided or influenced by something else.
v. to be contingent on or determined by a specific condition or factor; always used with the preposition 'on' or 'upon'.
“The success of our picnic depends on the weather tomorrow morning.”
“The feasibility of the entire project depends on the board's willingness to approve the additional funding requested in the latest report.”
Usage
The verb is intransitive and requires the preposition 'on' or 'upon' before the object.
Pitfall
The price depends of the size.
The price depends on the size.
In English, the verb 'depend' always takes the preposition 'on' or 'upon', never 'of'.
Synonyms
02it is not certain
interj. you say this when you cannot give a simple 'yes' or 'no' because you need more information.
interj. a shortened form of 'it depends', used as a standalone response to indicate that an answer is contingent on unspecified factors.
“"Are you coming to the party?" "Depends. Is your brother going to be there?"”
“"Will the repairs be finished by Friday?" "Depends; if the parts arrive tomorrow, we should be on schedule."”
Informal
Teaching tip
While common in speech, this shortened form should be avoided in formal writing where 'It depends on...' is preferred.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Collocations
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/depends