dépendent

Dépendent is the third-person plural present indicative form of the French verb dépendre. The verb dépendre means to depend, to be contingent on, or to rely on, and it governs various senses from physical dependence to conditional relationships. In modern usage, dépendre is typically followed by de to introduce the thing or person on which the subject relies, for example: dépendre de quelqu’un, dépendre d’un facteur, dépendre de la situation.

Etymology and sense

Dépendre derives from Old French dependre, from Latin dependere, literally “to hang from” (from de- + pendere). The figurative sense of reliance or contingency developed over time, yielding common expressions in everyday and formal French.

Usage notes

- Dependence is often expressed with de followed by a noun or noun phrase: dépendre de la météo, dépendre des résultats, dépendre de l’aide extérieure.

- The verb can describe varied relationships, including practical reliance (a project depends on funding) and conditional outcomes (success depends on cooperation).

- Dépendre can be used in both concrete contexts and abstract discussions, such as law, policy, or planning.

Conjugation context

Dépendre is an irregular verb in the present tense. The form depends on the subject; for example, je dépends, tu dépends, il dépend, nous dépendons, vous dépendez, ils dépendent. The word dépendent appears in some dialectal or less common constructions, but the standard present plural is typically the form used for ils/elles in contemporary French.

Related terms

- Dépendance: a noun meaning dependency, reliance, or a satellite building/annexe in a historical or architectural sense.

- Dépendant: present participle or adjective meaning dependent or depending on.

In summary, dépendent marks a grammatical form used to express a plural subject’s reliance or conditional relationship in French, rooted in a long etymological history from dependence to contingency.