DEPEND

count, bet, depend, swear, rely, bank, look, calculate, reckon

(verb) have faith or confidence in; “you can count on me to help you any time”; “Look to your friends for support”; “You can bet on that!”; “Depend on your family in times of crisis”

depend

(verb) be contingent upon (something that is elided); “That depends”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Verb

depend (third-person singular simple present depends, present participle depending, simple past and past participle depended)

(intransitive, followed by on or upon, formerly also by of) To be contingent or conditioned; to have something as a necessary condition; to hinge on.

(intransitive, followed by on or upon) To trust; to have confidence; to rely.

(now, literary) To hang down; to be sustained by being fastened or attached to something above.

(archaic) To be pending; to be undetermined or undecided.

Anagrams

• pended

Source: Wiktionary


De*pend", v. i. [imp. & p. p. Depended; p. pr. & vb. n. Depending.] Etym: [F. dépendre, fr. L. depend; de- + pend to hang. See Pendant.]

1. To hang down; to be sustained by being fastened or attached to something above. And ever-living lamps depend in rows. Pope.

2. To hang in suspense; to be pending; to be undetermined or undecided; as, a cause depending in court. You will not think it unnatural that those who have an object depending, which strongly engages their hopes and fears, should be somewhat inclined to superstition. Burke.

3. To rely for support; to be conditioned or contingent; to be connected with anything, as a cause of existence, or as a necessary condition; -- followed by on or upon, formerly by of. The truth of God's word dependeth not of the truth of the congregation. Tyndale. The conclusion . . . that our happiness depends little on political institutions, and much on the temper and regulation of our own minds. Macaulay. Heaven forming each on other to depend. Pope.

4. To trust; to rest with confidence; to rely; to confide; to be certain; -- with on or upon; as, we depend on the word or assurance of our friends; we depend on the mail at the usual hour. But if you 're rough, and use him like a dog, Depend upon it -- he 'll remain incog. Addison.

5. To serve; to attend; to act as a dependent or retainer. [Obs.] Shak.

6. To impend. [Obs.] Shak.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

3 June 2025

OWNER

(noun) (law) someone who owns (is legal possessor of) a business; “he is the owner of a chain of restaurants”


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Coffee Trivia

Brazil is the largest coffee producer in the world. Each year Brazil exports more than 44 million bags of coffee. Vietnam follows at exporting over 27 million bags each year.

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