depend

depend
de|pend
W2S1 [dıˈpend] v
[Date: 1400-1500; : French; Origin: dépendre, from Latin pendere 'to hang']
it/that depends
spoken used to say that you cannot give a definite answer to something because your answer will be affected by something else
▪ 'How long are you staying?' 'I don't know; it depends.'
it depends who/what/how/whether etc
▪ You may take several months to reach your target weight - it depends how much you want to lose.
depend on/upon / [depend on/upon sb/sth] phr v
1.) if something depends on something else, it is directly affected or decided by that thing
▪ The length of time spent exercising depends on the sport you are training for.
depend on how/what/whether etc
▪ Choosing the right bike depends on what you want to use it for.
depending on sth
▪ The expenses you claim can vary enormously, depending on travel distances involved.
2.) to need the support, help, or existence of someone or something in order to exist, be healthy, be successful etc
= ↑rely on
▪ The country depends heavily on its tourist trade.
▪ We depend entirely on donations from the public.
depend on sb/sth for sth
▪ Many women have to depend on their husbands for their state pension.
depend on sb/sth to do sth
▪ I'm depending on you to tell me everything.
depend on sb/sth doing sth
▪ We're depending on him finishing the job by Friday.
3.) to trust or have confidence in someone or something
▪ You can depend on Jane - she always keeps her promises.
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HINT
Do not say that one thing 'is depend on' another. Say one thing is dependent on another.
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Dictionary of contemporary English. 2013.

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Synonyms:
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Look at other dictionaries:

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  • Depend — De*pend , v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Depended}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Depending}.] [F. d[ e]pendre, fr. L. depend?re; de + pend?re to hang. See {Pendant}.] 1. To hang down; to be sustained by being fastened or attached to something above. [1913 Webster] And …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • depend — 1 *rely, trust, count, reckon, bank Analogous words: lean, incline (see SLANT vb) 2 Depend, hinge, hang, turn are comparable when they mean to rest or, especially, to be contingent upon something uncertain or variable or indeterminable. All are… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • depend — 1. Depend in its main meaning is followed by on or upon: • It was quite wrong to come to depend too much upon one s children Penelope Fitzgerald, 1979 • As grandfather grew older…he seemed to depend increasingly on my company J. Simms, 1982. It… …   Modern English usage

  • depend on — be controlled or determined by. → depend depend on rely on. → depend …   English new terms dictionary

  • depend — [v1] count on, rely upon bank on*, bet bottom dollar on*, bet on*, build upon, calculate on, confide in, gamble on*, lay money on*, lean on*, reckon on, trust in, turn to; concept 26 depend [v2] be contingent on be at mercy of, be based on, be… …   New thesaurus

  • depend — ► VERB (depend on) 1) be controlled or determined by. 2) rely on. ● depending on Cf. ↑depending on ORIGIN Latin dependere hang down …   English terms dictionary

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  • depend — early 15c., to be attached to as a condition or cause, a figurative use, from M.Fr. dependre, lit. to hang from, hang down, from L. dependere to hang from, hang down; be dependent on, be derived, from de from, down (see DE (Cf. de )) + pendere to …   Etymology dictionary

  • depend — [dē pend′, dipend′] vi. [ME dependen < OFr dependre < L dependere, to hang down from < de , down + pendere, to hang: see PENDANT] 1. to be influenced or determined by something else; be contingent (on) 2. to have trust; rely (on) 3. to… …   English World dictionary

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