depend

(dĭ-pĕndˈ)

intransitive verb de·pend·ed, de·pend·ing, de·pends

1. To rely, especially for support or maintenance: Children must depend on their parents.
2. To place trust or confidence: You can depend on his honesty. See Synonyms at rely.
3. To be determined, conditioned, or contingent: a grade depending on the results of the final exam.
4. To have a dependence: began to depend more and more on drugs.
5. To be pending or undecided, as in a court or legislature.
6. To hang down: “And ever-living Lamps depend in Rows” (Alexander Pope).

Usage Note: In writing, depend is followed by on or upon when indicating condition or contingency, as in It depends on who is in charge. Omission of the preposition is typical of casual speech.