depose

verb

de·pose | \ di-ˈpōz

, dē-\

deposed; deposing

Definition of depose

transitive verb

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

3 [ 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

b : affirm, assert

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

intransitive verb

: to bear witness

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about depose

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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

McDaniels is scheduled to be deposed by Mell on July 23. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Attorney questions Charlotte Hornets drafting Jalen McDaniels," 21 June 2019 Emanuel then had Burke deposed as finance chair and moved the workers’ comp program to the city comptroller’s office. — Mick Dumke, ProPublica, "At Chicago’s City Council, Committees Are Used to Reward Political Favors and Fund Patronage," 15 May 2019 Chilean criminal prosecutors are now on the case, and have staged a series of raids on the church's secret archives to seize documents and plan to depose the current archbishop of Santiago. — Nicole Winfield, Fox News, "US not alone in grappling with Catholic sex abuse, cover-up," 22 Aug. 2018 The military council took power April 11 after deposing longtime dictator Omar Hassan al-Bashir after months of pro-democracy protests. — Paul Schemm, Washington Post, "U.S. calls Sudan military crackdown ‘devastating,’ urges independent investigation," 14 June 2019 To prevent a civil war, the generals teamed up with Mr Dagalo to depose Mr Bashir. — The Economist, "How to stop Sudan sliding into war," 14 June 2019 Cicilline said Democrats would hold hearings, seek documents - even by subpoena, if necessary - and depose witnesses that could include the leaders of Silicon Valley's largest companies, who might also be asked to testify publicly. — Anchorage Daily News, "Facebook, Google and other tech giants to face antitrust investigation by House lawmakers," 4 June 2019 Cicilline said Democrats would hold hearings, seek documents – even by subpoena, if necessary – and depose witnesses that could include the leaders of Silicon Valley’s largest companies, who might also be asked to testify publicly. — The Washington Post, The Mercury News, "Tech titans face antitrust probe from House lawmakers," 3 June 2019 Twelve years later his son, George W. Bush, would invade Iraq and depose Saddam after 9/11. — WSJ, "George Herbert Walker Bush," 1 Dec. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'depose.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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More Definitions for depose

depose

verb

English Language Learners Definition of depose

: to remove (someone) from a powerful position

See the full definition for depose in the English Language Learners Dictionary

depose

verb

de·pose | \ di-ˈpōz

deposed; deposing

Kids Definition of depose

: to remove from a high office depose a king

depose

verb

de·pose | \ di-ˈpōz

deposed; deposing

Legal Definition of depose

transitive verb

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

intransitive verb

: testify the plaintiff deposed in person to many specific facts — Mintz v. Atlantic Coast Line R. Co., 72 S.E.2d 38 (1952)