deposition

noun

de·po·si·tion | \ ˌde-pə-ˈzi-shən,

ˌdē-pə-\

Definition of deposition

1a law : a testifying especially before a court was sworn in before giving his deposition

b : declaration specifically, law : testimony taken down in writing under oath took depositions from the witnesses

c law : out-of-court testimony made under oath and recorded by an authorized officer for later use in court gave a videotaped deposition about what she witnessed also : a meeting at which such testimony is taken

2 : an act or process of laying someone or something down or letting something fall : an act or process of depositing the deposition of earth and stone by glaciers

3 : something deposited : deposit Moraines are glacial depositions.

4 : an act of removing from a position of authority : an act of deposing deposition of a king

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Examples of deposition in a Sentence

She gave a videotaped deposition about what she saw that night. His attorneys took depositions from the witnesses. the deposition of sand and gravel on the river bed

Recent Examples on the Web

Wolf, the presiding judge in the class-action case, said prosecutors requested copies of all depositions and witness statements. — Andrea Estes, BostonGlobe.com, "Investigation alleges misconduct by Thornton Law Firm, recommends severe sanctions," 29 June 2018 Wooten said Tisaby sat for an initial deposition and answered questions as honestly as possible. — Bryan Lowry, kansascity, "St. Louis police will investigate ex-FBI agent involved in Greitens case | The Kansas City Star," 15 May 2018 In this case, by citing the Fifth Amendment, Cohen can avoid giving a deposition and turning over sensitive information that could be used in the federal case, which was revealed when the FBI raided his home and office earlier this month. — Margaret Hartmann, Daily Intelligencer, "Michael Cohen to Plead Fifth, Though Trump Once Said That’s for Mobsters," 26 Apr. 2018 That means the government’s net recovery is $3.9 million after pursuing this case since 2013 with countless efforts, including staff hours for the Justice Department, searches for evidence, court arguments, depositions and trial preparation. — Brent Schrotenboer, USA TODAY, "How Lance Armstrong escaped a $100 million lawsuit," 21 Apr. 2018 Snyder’s focus on Cosby’s 2005 deposition echoed similar statements from some of the jurors in the entertainer’s first trial. — Jeremy Roebuck, Philly.com, "Bill Cosby jurors speak out; he compares himself to Nelson Mandela," 30 Apr. 2018 Agpawa said the violations were discovered as part of a two-year departmental investigation prompted by depositions two lieutenants gave as part of Lewis-Bystrzycki's lawsuit in the summer of 2015. — Zak Koeske, Daily Southtown, "Country Club Hills suspended 3 firefighters for 'inappropriate' internet use, records show," 17 Mar. 2018 During depositions leading up to the trial, Levandowski repeatedly pleaded the Fifth. — Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, "Controversial ex-Uber engineer claims to have completed a coast-to-coast self-driving trip," 18 Dec. 2018 Federal courts allow both sides to take depositions, determine witnesses’ credibility, and draw on outside experts. — Dave Michaels, WSJ, "Johnson & Johnson Drafted Into Fight Over Shareholder Lawsuits," 13 Dec. 2018

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

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Dictionary Entries near deposition

deposition from the cross

deposit money

deposit of faith

Statistics for deposition

Last Updated

21 Jan 2019

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Time Traveler for deposition

The first known use of deposition was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for deposition

deposition

noun

English Language Learners Definition of deposition

law : a formal statement that someone who has promised to tell the truth makes so that the statement can be used in court; especially : a formal statement that is made before a trial by a witness who will not be present at the trial

: the action of depositing something (such as sand, snow, or mud) on a surface or area especially over a period of time

: the act removing someone from a powerful position : the act of deposing someone

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

deposition

noun

de·po·si·tion | \ ˌdep-ə-ˈzi-shən,

ˌdē-pə-

Medical Definition of deposition

1 : a process of depositing something the deposition and clearance of a metabolic product

2 : something deposited : deposit beta-amyloid depositions in Alzheimer's disease

deposition

noun

de·po·si·tion | \ ˌde-pə-ˈzi-shən

Legal Definition of deposition

1a : a statement that is made under oath by a party or witness (as an expert) in response to oral examination or written questions and that is recorded by an authorized officer (as a court reporter) broadly : affidavit

b : the certified document recording such a statement — compare interrogatory

2 : the hearing at which a deposition is made the deposition takes place where the deponent answers the questions — Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 30(b)(4)

Note: A deposition can be used as a method of discovery, to preserve the testimony of a witness who is likely to become unavailable for trial, or for impeachment of testimony at trial. Depositions are distinguished from affidavits by the requirement that notice and an opportunity to cross-examine the deponent must be given to the other party.