depend only on

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase 'depend only on' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use this phrase when you are talking about something that is completely reliant on something else for its outcome. For example, "The success of the project will depend only on the skill of the team."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

where and depend only on and.

Boundary Value Problems

We depend only on us.

The Guardian - Sport

"We cannot depend only on the police".

The New York Times

WikiLeaks does not depend only on web technology.

The Guardian - Opinion

He told me, "Europe can't depend only on competition.

The New Yorker

Hunger does not depend only on these glucose receptors.

Britannica

The switching decentralized rules depend only on local subsystems states.

Nonlinear Analysis: Hybrid Systems

"We can't depend only on airstrikes," he said.

The Washington Post

These two dimensionless numbers depend only on the operating parameters.

Chemical Engineering Science

This is a mathematical discipline, but the mathematical models depend only on certain intuition.

Yale University

Should a manager's pay depend only on her firm's share price?

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "depend only on", ensure that the context clearly indicates the exclusive nature of the dependency. Avoid ambiguity by explicitly stating what the subject relies on and what it does not.

Common error

Avoid using "depend only on" when the reliance is not truly exclusive. If other factors play a role, even a minor one, choose a more inclusive phrase such as "primarily depend on" or "largely depend on".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "depend only on" functions as a verb phrase expressing a relationship of exclusive dependence. It indicates that a subject's outcome, condition, or value is determined solely by a specific factor, as shown in Ludwig's examples.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

53%

News & Media

18%

Academia

13%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

5%

Wiki

5%

Formal & Business

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "depend only on" expresses exclusive reliance on a specific factor. Ludwig AI confirms it is grammatically correct and usable in written English. It appears frequently in scientific, news, and academic sources. When writing, ensure the context justifies this exclusive dependence and avoid using the phrase if other factors have some influence. Alternatives like "rely solely on" or "hinge exclusively on" offer similar meanings with slightly different nuances.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

rely solely on

This alternative emphasizes the exclusive nature of the reliance, similar to "depend only on".

hinge exclusively on

This phrase suggests that the outcome is completely determined by a single factor, highlighting a strong dependency.

be contingent solely upon

This alternative uses more formal language to convey the idea of conditional dependence.

rest entirely on

This option indicates that something is fully supported or determined by something else.

be determined exclusively by

This phrase highlights that a specific outcome is defined entirely by a single factor.

be governed solely by

This suggests that something is controlled or influenced exclusively by another factor.

be subject only to

This alternative indicates that something is influenced by no factors other than the ones specified.

be predicated solely on

This emphasizes that something is based or founded entirely on a single aspect.

turn exclusively on

This option suggests that the result depends entirely on the presence or absence of the specified condition.

be strictly dependent on

This emphasizes a strict and limited dependency relationship.

FAQs

What does "depend only on" mean?

The phrase "depend only on" signifies that something relies solely and exclusively on a specific factor or set of factors, with no influence from anything else.

How can I use "depend only on" in a sentence?

You can use "depend only on" to emphasize the exclusive reliance of something on a particular condition. For example, "The success of the experiment will depend only on the accuracy of the measurements."

What are some alternatives to "depend only on"?

Alternatives include "rely solely on", "hinge exclusively on", or "rest entirely on", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it correct to say "depends only on" instead of "depend only on"?

Yes, the verb form must agree with the subject. Use "depends only on" for singular subjects (e.g., "The outcome depends only on the initial conditions.") and "depend only on" for plural subjects (e.g., "The results depend only on the participants' responses.").