Definition

1. Verb (phrasal verb):
   • To depend completely on; to be determined or decided by: The event, outcome, or success of something is directly and critically reliant on a specific factor or condition. It implies that the main factor is the pivotal point upon which everything else turns.

Usage

• This phrasal verb is used to show a strong, often critical, dependency. It is typically followed by a noun or noun phrase.
• It is often used in formal or analytical contexts to discuss conditions, results, and critical factors.
• Common structures: "Something hinges on something else."

Examples

• Verb:
  • The success of the entire project hinges on securing funding. (The project's success is completely dependent on getting money.)
  • The jury's verdict hinged on the credibility of a single witness. (The decision was determined by whether the jury believed that one witness.)
  • Whether we go hiking tomorrow hinges on the weather. (Our plans are entirely dependent on the weather conditions.)

Advanced Usage

• "to hinge upon": This is a formal variant with the same meaning as "hinge on."
  • The theory hinges upon one unproven assumption. (The entire theory relies on one assumption that hasn't been verified.)

Variants and Related Words

• Hinge (noun): A movable joint or mechanism on which a door, gate, or lid swings. This is the literal meaning from which the phrasal verb's figurative sense is derived.
  • The door was hanging loose from its hinges.
• Hinge (verb, transitive): To attach or furnish with a hinge. Rarely used figuratively.
  • The lid is hinged at the back.

Synonyms

• Depend on: To be influenced or decided by.
• Rest on: To be based on or supported by.
• Turn on: To have as a central or crucial point.
• Be contingent on: To be conditional upon.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Rely on: To trust or depend on someone or something.
  • We can rely on her to finish the work. (This emphasizes trust, while "hinge on" emphasizes critical determination.)
• Hang on: To wait or depend on. (Less formal and often used in spoken English).
  • Everything hangs on his decision.

Verb

1. be contingent on
   • The outcomes rides on the results of the election
   • Your grade will depends on your homework