deposed; deposing
1
: to remove from a throne or other high position
plotting to depose the king
a deposed military leader
2
: to put down : deposit
deposing the sacrament in a carved recess—
Francis Berry
Francis Berry3
[Middle English, from Medieval Latin deponere, from Late Latin]
a
law
: to testify to under oath or by affidavit
deposed before the court that he had seen the defendant enter the building
c
law
: to take testimony (see testimony sense 1a) from especially by deposition
depose a witness
plaintiffs … were entitled to depose experts retained by the defendants—National Law Journal
National Law Journal
: to bear witness
Examples of depose in a Sentence
a military junta deposed the dictator after he had bankrupted the country
she was nervous when the time to depose before the jury finally arrived
Recent Examples on the Web
Onganía’s rule lasted only a few years before he was deposed and replaced by another general, and soon the political chaos was matched by economic disruption.
—Daniel Alarcón, New Yorker, 30 June 2025
Before Attacking Iran, The IAF Made Syrian Airspace More Accessible Than Ever Before
After armed opposition groups in Syria finally deposed the Assad regime in a lightning November-December 2024 offensive, Israel swiftly took action.
—Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 22 June 2025
For example, oil prices nearly tripled from mid-1979 to mid-1980 after the Iranian revolution deposed the Shah and brought the Islamic Republic to power, according to JPMorgan.
—Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 21 June 2025
The first case was settled in April 2010, just before Bush and Michaels were scheduled to be deposed.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for depose
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Daniel Alarcón, New Yorker, 30 June 2025
Before Attacking Iran, The IAF Made Syrian Airspace More Accessible Than Ever Before
After armed opposition groups in Syria finally deposed the Assad regime in a lightning November-December 2024 offensive, Israel swiftly took action.
—Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 22 June 2025
For example, oil prices nearly tripled from mid-1979 to mid-1980 after the Iranian revolution deposed the Shah and brought the Islamic Republic to power, according to JPMorgan.
—Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 21 June 2025
The first case was settled in April 2010, just before Bush and Michaels were scheduled to be deposed.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for depose
Cite this Entry
“Depose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/depose. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
depose
verb
de·pose
di-ˈpōz 
deposed; deposing
1
: to remove from a high office
deposed the king
2
: to testify under oath or by a sworn written statement
Legal Definition
depose
verb
de·pose
di-ˈpōz
deposed; deposing
1
: to testify to under oath or by sworn affidavit
2
: to take testimony from especially by deposition
plaintiffs…were entitled to depose experts retained by the defendants—National Law Journal
compare examine
National Law Journal
: testify
the plaintiff deposed in person to many specific facts—Mintz v. Atlantic Coast Line R. Co., 72 S.E.2d 38 (1952)
Mintz v. Atlantic Coast Line R. Co., 72 S.E.2d 38 (1952)Love words? Need even more definitions?
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