depose

verb

de·​pose di-ˈpōz 

dē-

deposed; deposing

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 in 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 of depose

• topple
• dethrone
• sack
• dismiss
• unseat
• oust
• deprive
• unmake
• defrock

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

After Iran’s last monarch was deposed in 1979, various paramilitary groups that helped hasten his downfall coalesced into the IRGC. — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026

One of his sons hid the gem in the crack of his cell wall before he was blinded and deposed. — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 17 Aug. 2026

Last week, Martinez-Olguin scheduled the trial for March 2, after the states sought additional time to gather evidence and depose executives and other witnesses. — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 14 Aug. 2026

However, since Assad was deposed in December 2024 by the opposition, that argument appeared less credible than ever. — Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French deposer, from Late Latin deponere (perfect indicative deposui), from Latin, to put down

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for depose

• aloes
• arose
• bestows
• boroughs
• buboes
• cargoes
• cocos
• compos
• compose
• crossbows
• demos
• disclose

Kids 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

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)