depend
[verb]
Synonyms:
- trust in, bank on, count on, lean on, reckon on, rely upon, turn to
- be determined by, be based on, be contingent on, be subject to, be subordinate to, hang on, hinge on, rest on, revolve around

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

de‧pend S1 W2 /dɪˈpend/ verb
[Word Family: noun: dependant, dependence ≠ independence, dependency; adverb: dependably, independently; adjective: dependable, dependent ≠ independent; verb: depend]
[Date: 1400-1500; Language: French; Origin: dépendre, from Latin pendere 'to hang']
it/that depends spoken used to say that you cannot give a definite answer to something because your answer will be affected by something else:
‘How long are you staying?’ ‘I don’t know; it depends.’
it depends who/what/how/whether etc
You may take several months to reach your target weight – it depends how much you want to lose.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

depend
verb PHRASAL VERBS depend on/upon sb/sth
I. be affected by sth
ADV. crucially, greatly, very much The future of the company will depend crucially on how consumers respond.
entirely, solely | largely, mainly | partly, rather, to some extent | ultimately Whether or not we can go ultimately depends on the weather.
VERB + DEPEND seem to The outcome seems to depend on the type of soil used.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

depend
II. need
ADV. heavily | entirely, solely
PREP. for She depends entirely on her parents for money.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

depend
verb
1.
BAD: The number of hours he worked was depend on the number of absentees.
GOOD: The number of hours he worked depended on the number of absentees.
BAD: The insurance payment is depends on the value of the goods.
GOOD: The insurance payment depends on the value of the goods.

Usage Note:
Do not confuse depend on/upon and the more formal phrase be dependent on/upon. Compare: 'The speed of a car depends on the size of the engine.' 'The speed of a car is dependent on the size of the engine.'

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2.
BAD: Whether or not she passes is depending upon how hard she works.
GOOD: Whether or not she passes depends upon how hard she works.

Usage Note:
When depend on/upon means 'be shaped or determined by', it is not used in progressive tenses.

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3.
BAD: It depends on if you've got enough money.
GOOD: It depends on whether you've got enough money.

Usage Note:
it depends on whether (NOT if ): 'We don't know yet. It all depends on whether the car is fixed in time.'

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲