depended

USAGE SUMMARY

The word "depended" is correct and can be used in written English.
You can use it when describing a situation of relying on someone or something else for help or support. For example, "The success of the business project depended on the cooperation of all the team members."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

There was a time in Britain when radicals believed that progress depended on following the continental model.

The Guardian - Opinion

The ability of footballers to play depended on which zone they found themselves in.

The Guardian - Sport

A close relative of María's trafficed cocaine independently, she said, but still depended on the cartel to keep order in the state.

The Guardian

To put it another way, in America and Great Britain, the neoliberal turn depended on huge industrial confrontations.

The Guardian - Opinion

We depended on Social Security benefits to survive".

The Guardian

We should not be too surprised that Seneca was unable to imagine an alternative to a society that owned slaves and depended on vast income inequality.

The Guardian - Books

Before the era of laser theodolites and mobile computing, he depended on endless manual measurements that started respectively from the door of the Old Kirk at Bo'ness and Blair Castle, Culross – both known Ordinance Survey benchmarks.

The Guardian

Started with grants from two charities, it depended also on the legal aid scheme to bring access to justice to a community in whose experience "the law" meant the police, and was definitely not on their side.

The Guardian - Opinion

South of the border, it is acquiring precisely the caricatured significance of the "loony left" in the 80s: a supposedly militant force that Miliband cannot control and would (the argument continues) control him if he depended on its votes to govern.

The Guardian - Opinion

There are still a few around who remember those days when what happened at Westminster actually mattered, when the fate of Britain depended on a vote, and the prospect of a parliamentary defeat sent the pound plummeting and economies across the world reeling.

The Guardian

Stoke were already assured of a ninth-placed finish for the second year in succession yet they played as if their lives depended on the result.

The Guardian - Sport

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "depended", ensure that the sentence clearly indicates what is relying on what. Clarity prevents ambiguity and strengthens your writing.

Common error

Avoid assuming correlation equals causation when using "depended". Just because one event followed another doesn't automatically mean the first directly caused the second; ensure a true dependency exists.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "depended" is as a verb in the past tense. It indicates a state of reliance or being determined by something in the past. Ludwig AI shows examples where it connects outcomes to influencing factors.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Formal & Business

20%

Science

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

5%

Wiki

3%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "depended" is the past tense form of "depend", indicating reliance or contingency in past events. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's grammatically correct and very commonly used, especially in news and formal writing. For variety, consider alternatives like "relied on" or "hinged on". When using "depended", ensure the sentence clearly establishes what is relying on what, and avoid confusing correlation with causation. Remember that the correct preposition is "on", not "by" or "with".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

relied

Similar to "depended", but emphasizes the act of trusting or counting on something.

hinged on

Implies that the outcome or success was directly and critically determined by something.

rested on

Suggests a sense of stability and support provided by the thing being relied upon.

was contingent on

Highlights the conditional nature of the relationship, implying that something else must occur.

was subject to

Indicates that the outcome was influenced or controlled by another factor.

turned on

Similar to "hinged on", emphasizing the critical role of a specific element.

was determined by

Highlights the causative relationship, where one thing directly influenced the other.

was predicated on

Implies a fundamental basis or assumption upon which something is built.

stemmed from

Indicates the origin or source from which something arose.

arose from

Suggests that something originated or resulted as a consequence of something else.

FAQs

How can I use "depended" in a sentence?

"Depended" is the past tense of the verb "depend", meaning to rely on someone or something for support. For example, "The project's success "depended on" careful planning".

What are some alternatives to using "depended"?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives like "relied on", "hinged on", or "rested on" to express a similar meaning.

What's the difference between "depended on" and "depended with"?

"Depended on" is the correct and commonly used phrase. "Depended with" is grammatically incorrect. Always use the preposition "on" after "depended" to indicate reliance.

Is it correct to say "it depended by" instead of "it depended on"?

No, "it depended by" is incorrect. The correct phrasing is "it "depended on"". The preposition "on" is essential to convey the meaning of reliance or contingency.