de ‧ pend S1 W2 /dɪˈpend/ BrE AmE verb
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ dependant , ↑ dependence ≠ ↑ independence , ↑ dependency ; adverb : ↑ dependably , ↑ independently ; adjective : ↑ dependable , ↑ dependent ≠ ↑ independent ; verb : ↑ depend ]
[ Date: 1400-1500 ; Language: 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.
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THESAURUS
▪ depend on something/somebody to need something or someone in order to exist, or be healthy, successful etc:
The island’s economy depends on tourism.
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The two industries depend on each other.
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Many people depend on the sport for their livelihood (=they need it in order to make money to live) .
▪ rely on something/somebody to depend on something or someone to do or provide what you need, especially because you have no choice:
In rural areas, many people rely on public transport.
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She’d never wanted to rely on a man for money.
▪ count on something to depend on something that you expect to happen:
Their government was counting on American support.
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I’m counting on getting a pay rise next year.
▪ lean on somebody to depend on someone for support and encouragement, especially at a difficult time:
We all need a good friend that we can lean on.
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When her husband died, she leant on Mike for support.
depend on/upon somebody/something phrasal verb
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 something
The expenses you claim can vary enormously, depending on travel distances involved.
► Do not say that one thing ‘is depend on’ another. Say that one thing depends on or is dependent on another.
2 . to need the support, help, or existence of someone or something in order to exist, be healthy, be successful etc SYN rely on :
The country depends heavily on its tourist trade.
We depend entirely on donations from the public.
depend on somebody/something for something
Many women have to depend on their husbands for their state pension.
depend on somebody/something to do something
I’m depending on you to tell me everything.
depend on somebody/something doing something
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.