de·pend
Pronounced:
/dɪˈpɛnd/
Function:
verbInflected forms:
de·pends; de·pend·ed; de·pend·ingMeaning:
[no obj] informal —used in speech in phrases like it depends and that depends to say that the answer to a question will be different in different situations ▪ “Are you going to the party?” “I might. It depends.” [=I do not know yet; there may be something that prevents me from being able to go or from wanting to go] ▪ “Do you think you'll go back to college?” “It all depends. I will if I can afford it.” ▪ “Which team do you think will win?” “That depends. If all of our players are healthy, I think we'll win.” ▪ (very informal) “How long does it take to get to the airport?” “Depends. If you're going during rush hour it'll take at least an hour. If not, you can probably be there in 20 minutes.”
depend on/upon [phrasal verb]
depend on/upon (someone or something) 1 : to be determined or decided by (something) ▪ We're not sure if we'll have the picnic. It depends on the weather. [=if the weather is good we will have the picnic] ▪ “Will you go back to college?” “I don't know. It depends on whether or not I can afford it.” ▪ The stamp's value depends on how rare it is. ▪ Depending upon your child's weight and height, she or he may have to sit in the back seat of the car. ▪ It's not clear how many people were at the rally. Reports vary between 10,000 and 20,000, depending on who's counting. [=some people report that there were 10,000 people at the rally, others report that there were 20,000] —sometimes used informally without on or upon ▪ “Are you happy?” “It depends what you mean by ‘happy.’” —see also life depends on at 1life
2 : to need (someone or something) for support, help, etc. ▪ He no longer depends on [=relies on] his parents for money. ▪ They depend heavily/largely/solely/entirely on her income to pay the bills. [=without her income they would not be able to pay their bills]
3 : to be sure about (someone or something) : to trust (someone or something) ▪ She's someone you can always depend on. [=count on] ▪ She will be remembered as a woman upon whom people could depend. ▪ The manufacturer promises quality you can depend on. —sometimes used humorously ▪ You could always depend on him to disagree. [=you could always be sure that he would disagree] ▪ I can always depend on it to rain on days when I forget my umbrella.
2 : to need (someone or something) for support, help, etc. ▪ He no longer depends on [=relies on] his parents for money. ▪ They depend heavily/largely/solely/entirely on her income to pay the bills. [=without her income they would not be able to pay their bills]
3 : to be sure about (someone or something) : to trust (someone or something) ▪ She's someone you can always depend on. [=count on] ▪ She will be remembered as a woman upon whom people could depend. ▪ The manufacturer promises quality you can depend on. —sometimes used humorously ▪ You could always depend on him to disagree. [=you could always be sure that he would disagree] ▪ I can always depend on it to rain on days when I forget my umbrella.