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

• hang
• hinge
• ride
• turn

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

Last but not least is Cassy—or Cassie, depending on the day—and her kittens. —Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Apr. 2025

This pick is just 12.5 inches in height, but Coach also offers other sizes depending on your needs. —Isis Briones, Travel + Leisure, 19 Apr. 2025

Blindness may or may not be reversible depending on the cause. —Heidi Cope, Health, 19 Apr. 2025

Yes, that may sound like a hefty recurring expense, as, depending on the materials and size of the mattress, a good one can cost you thousands of dollars. —Terry Baddoo, USA Today, 19 Apr. 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