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 in 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
Last week, Polis was deposed under oath by Moss’ attorneys.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 21 Apr. 2026
King is especially distraught in the season finale after learning that she'll be deposed again in a lawsuit against the ER — a suit and deposition that has burdened the doctor all season.
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2026
Supporters of Reza Pahlavi, son of the shah deposed in the 1979 Islamic Revolution, deny the campaign’s responsibility for such threats and accuse government agents of posing as activists online.
—Adam Geller, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2026
The judge also said attorneys across the lawsuits will need to work together to coordinate deposing counselors, campers and staff only one time to minimize harm.
—Andy Rose, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for depose
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Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 21 Apr. 2026
King is especially distraught in the season finale after learning that she'll be deposed again in a lawsuit against the ER — a suit and deposition that has burdened the doctor all season.
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2026
Supporters of Reza Pahlavi, son of the shah deposed in the 1979 Islamic Revolution, deny the campaign’s responsibility for such threats and accuse government agents of posing as activists online.
—Adam Geller, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2026
The judge also said attorneys across the lawsuits will need to work together to coordinate deposing counselors, campers and staff only one time to minimize harm.
—Andy Rose, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for depose
Cite this Entry
“Depose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/depose. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
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?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
