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

The depositions also painted Infowars as an organization run entirely by Jones. — Oliver Darcy, CNN, "Alex Jones hit with sanctions by judge in Sandy Hook lawsuit," 18 June 2019 To make their case, both sides have taken depositions for the lawsuit. — Keith Bierygolick, Cincinnati.com, "‘I thought about killing myself’: Magistrate fired by judge claims religious discrimination," 13 June 2019 Allen and colleagues collected microplastics over a period of five months at a meteorological station about 4,500 feet (1,400 meters) above sea level using atmospheric deposition catchers that look like tall funnels. — Stephen Leahy, National Geographic, "Microplastics are raining down from the sky," 15 Apr. 2019 The meeting Wednesday with Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler of New York and the panel’s top Republican, Doug Collins of Georgia, isn’t a formal deposition or transcribed interview. — Billy House, Bloomberg.com, "Whitaker to Meet With House Lawmakers to Clarify Testimony, Official Says," 11 Mar. 2019 At issue is the timeline of McDaniels’ response to the lawsuits and answering questions from Mell in a pre-trial deposition. — (chadd Cady), San Diego Union-Tribune, "Jalen McDaniels makes admissions in video case," 8 June 2019 Peterson is not a danger to the community, has always shown up for civil court hearings and depositions and wrongly has been charged under a state law that excludes law enforcement officers acting in an official capacity, DiRuzzo’s motion said. — Tonya Alanez, sun-sentinel.com, "Ex-deputy Scot Peterson must stay in jail until he turns over his passport. It’s in North Carolina.," 5 June 2019 Dina made a point of attending or listening to every deposition, and looking at all manner of videos, recordings, statements, and other kinds of documents. — Sean Elder, Town & Country, "The Mysterious Deaths That Rocked a Wealthy Southern California Enclave," 4 Apr. 2018 Allen and possibly Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, among others, were likely to provide depositions unless the case is resolved through private mediation in coming weeks. — Larry Neumeister, The Seattle Times, "Amazon: Woody Allen’s #MeToo comments wrecked movie deal," 15 Apr. 2019

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

24 Jun 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

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

formal : 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.