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
Mangione is being held pretrial at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center, alongside deposed Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro.
—Ben Brachfeld, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
Plaintiffs have sought to depose Wexner based on his service on OSU’s board of trustees during a period when Strauss was under internal investigation and when his full-time employment with the university was terminated.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 28 Jan. 2026
One of the bloodiest moments in that revolution, which deposed the last Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and led to the rise of the incumbent Islamist regime, occurred on September 8, 1978.
—Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
However, it was revealed Ruff broke a cardinal rule, playing or simulating a game more than once, and was deposed as commissioner, though there is some disagreement about what exactly happened.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for depose
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Ben Brachfeld, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
Plaintiffs have sought to depose Wexner based on his service on OSU’s board of trustees during a period when Strauss was under internal investigation and when his full-time employment with the university was terminated.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 28 Jan. 2026
One of the bloodiest moments in that revolution, which deposed the last Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and led to the rise of the incumbent Islamist regime, occurred on September 8, 1978.
—Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
However, it was revealed Ruff broke a cardinal rule, playing or simulating a game more than once, and was deposed as commissioner, though there is some disagreement about what exactly happened.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 23 Jan. 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 2 Feb. 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?
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