depend

UK:*UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/dɪˈpɛnd/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/dɪˈpɛnd/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(di pend)

WordReference Collins English Usage © 2025
depend
‘depend on’
If you depend on someone or something or depend upon them, you need them in order to survive.
At college Julie seemed to depend on Simon more and more.
Uruguay's economy has depended heavily on its banking sector.
The factories depend upon natural resources.
If one thing depends on another thing, the first thing is affected by the second.
The success of the meeting depends largely on whether the chairperson is efficient.
The cooking time depends on the size of the potato.
Be careful
Depend is never an adjective. Don't say, for example, that someone or something ‘is depend on’ another person or thing. You say that they are dependent on that person or thing.
The local economy is dependent on oil and gas extraction.
‘depending on’
You use depending on to say that something varies according to particular circumstances.
There are, depending on the individual, a lot of different approaches.
They cost £20 or £25 depending on the size.
‘it depends’
Sometimes people answer a question by saying ‘It depends’, rather than ‘yes’ or ‘no’. They usually then explain what else affects the situation.
‘What time will you arrive?’ ‘It depends. If I come by train, I’ll arrive at 5 o'clock. If I come by bus, I'll be a bit later.'
'depend' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):

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