Definition

Verb: 1. To rely on; to place trust or confidence in someone or something. This meaning indicates that the success, safety, or outcome of a situation is based on the reliability of another person or factor. 2. To be determined or conditioned by; to be contingent upon. This meaning indicates that one thing is directly influenced or decided by another factor or set of conditions.

Examples of Usage

• Meaning 1 (To rely on):
  • In an emergency, you can depend upon your family for support.
  • We depend upon accurate data to make informed decisions.
• Meaning 2 (To be contingent on):
  • Whether we have a picnic tomorrow depends upon the weather.
  • The success of the project depends upon everyone meeting their deadlines.

Advanced Usage

• "To depend heavily/entirely/solely upon": These adverbs emphasize the degree of reliance or contingency.
  • The remote village depends entirely upon a single road for supplies.
  • His argument depends heavily upon a single, unverified source.

Variants and Related Words

• Depend (on/upon): The more common and slightly less formal variant. "Depend on" and "depend upon" are generally interchangeable, with "upon" sometimes sounding slightly more formal or emphatic.
  • I depend on my morning coffee.
• Dependent (adj): Relying on someone or something else.
  • The puppy is still dependent on its mother.
• Dependence (n): The state of relying on something.
  • The country aims to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels.

Synonyms

• Rely on: To trust or be confident in.
• Count on: To depend on someone to do something or for something to happen.
• Bank on: To base one's hopes or plans on something happening (informal).
• Hinge on: To depend entirely on.
• Be contingent on: To be conditional or dependent on something else.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Depend on/upon: This is the primary phrasal verb form. All usage applies to this structure.
  • You can depend on her to tell the truth. (Rely on)
  • Our plans depend on getting funding. (Are contingent on)

Related Idioms

• That depends / It all depends: Used to say that the answer to a question is not fixed and will change according to the situation.
  • "Are you coming to the party?" – "That depends; I might have to work."

Verb

1. put trust in with confidence
   • she is someone you can really rely on when times get rough
   • you can rely on his discretion
2. be contingent on
   • The outcomes rides on the results of the election
   • Your grade will depends on your homework