depend

Depend is a verb that denotes reliance on or contingency upon someone or something. It describes a relationship in which the outcome, function, or support of one element depends on another. In everyday use, it is typically intransitive and followed by on or upon, as in “The outcome depends on the weather” or “Children depend on their parents for care.” The form depends is used for third-person singular subjects.

Etymology traces depend to Old French dependre, from Latin dependere, meaning to hang down or be attached to. The original sense of hanging or being attached evolved into the figurative sense of reliance or contingency that is common today.

In various domains, the concept of dependence appears in different forms. In computing and software, a dependency is a component that a program requires to function or build. Packages may declare dependencies, and package managers resolve and install them. In project management, dependencies describe tasks that must be completed before others can begin. In law or policy, decisions can depend on specific evidence or conditions. The related noun dependency refers to the state of relying on something, or to a person who relies on another for support, often framed as a dependent.

Usage notes include the common phrasal construction depend on or depend upon, with on being more frequent in contemporary English. The antonym is independent, and related concepts include interdependence and contingency.

See also: dependent, dependency, independent, interdependence, contingency.