deposition

noun de·po·si·tion \ ˌde-pə-ˈzi-shən , ˌdē-pə- \

|Updated on: 5 Aug 2018

Examples: deposition in a Sentence

Definition of deposition

1 a 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

—

depositional

play \-ˈzish-nəl, -shə-nᵊl\ adjective

See deposition defined for English-language learners

See deposition defined for kids

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 of deposition from the Web

Having a Bill Gates, a Steve Balmer, great engineering leaders at our company, spending so much time figuring out how to prepare for a deposition, how to defend themselves at the witness stand.

— recode staff, Recode, "Full video and transcript: Microsoft President Brad Smith at Code 2018," 30 May 2018
The depositions of the Seattle Seahawks' Pete Carroll and John Schneider, as well as the relatively low burden of proof, suggest that Colin Kaepernick's collusion case against the NFL is making progress.

— aaron wilson, Houston Chronicle, "Jets hire ex-Texans exec Jon Carr for scouting job," 11 May 2018
Judge John Marshall Kest gave jurors the morning off so prosecutors in the case can conduct a last-minute deposition of a defense witness.

— gal tziperman lotan, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Jurors to hear from family of man convicted of killing teenager," 17 Apr. 2018
The second was Cosby’s deposition in Constand’s civil suit, which the New York Times published in July 2015.

— jen kirby, Vox, "Bill Cosby’s retrial may be the first real test of the power of #MeToo," 9 Apr. 2018
In practical terms, this means that Zervos’s lawsuit is alive and well and that her lawyers may now want to substantiate her claims by seeking discovery — the exchange of materials prior to trial that may even include a deposition of Trump himself.

— cristian farias, Daily Intelligencer, "The President of the United States Can Be Dragged Into Court for Defamation Case, Judge Rules," 20 Mar. 2018
Chapman has tried to get Judge Raner C. Collins to order a deposition of a witness Chapman says saw Elena Rodriguez on the U.S. side the night of the shooting.

— rob o'dell, azcentral, "Five years later, Border Patrol agent Lonnie Swartz to be tried for murder of Mexican teen," 19 Mar. 2018
Following the depositions in August 2015, the department immediately launched an investigation into inappropriate television and internet usage at the firehouse, Agpawa said.

— zak koeske, Daily Southtown, "Country Club Hills suspended 3 firefighters for 'inappropriate' internet use, records show," 17 Mar. 2018
This was supposed to be a lecture, not a deposition.

— christina hoff sommers, WSJ, "‘The Gender Gage Rap Is Real!’," 14 Mar. 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.

Origin and Etymology of deposition

see depose

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 4

See Words from the same year

deposition Synonyms

Synonyms

deposit, dregs, grounds, precipitate, sediment, settlings;

Related Words

lees;

ooze, silt, sludge;

dross, slag, waste;

DEPOSITION Defined for English Language Learners

deposition

noun

Definition of deposition for English Language Learners

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

Medical 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

Law Dictionary

deposition

noun de·po·si·tion \ ˌde-pə-ˈzi-shən \

legal Definition of deposition

1 a : 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.