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depend

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To depend is defined as to be influenced by or to rely on.

(verb)

When you decide what to wear based on the weather, this is an example of a situation where your clothing depends on the weather.
When you rely on your mother to pick you up from school, this is an example of a situation where you depend on your mother for a ride.

See depend in Webster's New World College Dictionary

intransitive verb

to be influenced or determined by something else; be contingent (on)
to have trust; rely (on)
to rely (on) for support or aid
Rare to hang down
Law to be undecided or pending

Origin: ME dependen < OFr dependre < L dependere, to hang down from < de-, down + pendere, to hang: see pendant

See depend in American Heritage Dictionary 4

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

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

Origin:

Origin: Middle English dependen, to hang down

Origin: , from Old French dependre

Origin: , from Latin dēpendēre

Origin: : dē-, de-

Origin: + pendēre, to hang; see (s)pen- in Indo-European roots

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.

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