[di-pend] 
| 1. | to rely; place trust (usually fol. by on or upon): You may depend on the accuracy of the report. |
| 2. | to rely for support, maintenance, help, etc. (usually fol. by on or upon): Children depend on their parents. |
| 3. | to be conditioned or contingent (usually fol. by on or upon): His success here depends upon effort and ability. |
| 4. | to be undetermined or pending: I may go to Europe or I may not, it all depends. |
| 5. | Grammar. (of a word or other linguistic form) to be subordinate to another linguistic form in the same construction; to form a part of a construction other than the head. |
| 6. | to hang down; be suspended (usually fol. by from): The chandelier depends from the ceiling of the ballroom. |
| de·pend (dĭ-pěnd') intr.v. de·pend·ed, de·pend·ing, de·pends
[Middle English dependen, to hang down, from Old French dependre, from Latin dēpendēre : dē-, de- + 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. |
