depend
pronunciation
How to pronounce depend in British English:
UK [dɪˈpend]
How to pronounce depend in American English:
US [dɪˈpend]
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- Verb:
- be contingent upon (something that is ellided)
- have faith or confidence in
Word Origin
- depend
- depend: [15] To depend on something is literally to ‘hang down’ from it. The word comes, via Old French dependre, from Latin dēpendēre, a compound verb formed from the prefix dē- ‘down’ and pendēre ‘hang’ (source of English pendant, pendulum, penthouse, and a host of derivatives from appendix to suspend). Its original literal sense survives in English, just, as a conscious archaism, but essentially the metaphorical extensions ‘be contingent’ (echoed in the parallel use of hang on) and ‘rely’ have taken the verb over.=> appendix, pendent, pendulum, penthouse, suspend
- depend (v.)
- early 15c., "to be attached to as a condition or cause," a figurative use, from Middle French dependre, literally "to hang from, hang down," from Latin dependere "to hang from, hang down; be dependent on, be derived," from de- "from, down" (see de-) + pendere "to hang, be suspended" (see pendant). Related: Depended; depending.
Example
- 1. Why should it depend for recovery on external demand ?
- 2. But peace does not depend only on israel .
- 3. Worse , they are unsuited to advertising , on which most magazines depend .
- 4. If a person learns they can depend upon you , it makes you more invaluable in that person 's life .
- 5. Which countries depend most on libyan oil ?