deposition

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

Definition of deposition

1 : an act of removing from a position of authority : an act of deposing deposition of a king
2a law : a testifying especially before a court was sworn in before giving his depositionb : declaration; specifically, law : testimony taken down in writing under oath took depositions from the witnessesc 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
3 : 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
4 : something deposited : deposit Moraines are glacial depositions.

depositional

play \-ˈzish-nəl, -shə-n^əl\ 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

Trump hurled this barb at a female lawyer, who, during a deposition involving Trump, asked for a medical break to pump breast milk for her 3-month-old daughter.

— michael sebastian, Cosmopolitan, "30 Times Donald Trump Has Been Completely Insulting to Women", 29 June 2017
North Wildwood’s chief lifeguard said in a deposition the town knew of the condition, which occurs twice each day, for at least six years before Smith drowned.

— wayne parry, The Seattle Times, "Judge won’t close beach where 3 died after the sand gave way", 27 June 2017
Meyer took a deposition from David Pope, chief information security officer for the Department of Education.

— mike cason, AL.com, "Recapping the year-long saga of the anonymous Pouncey allegation", 24 June 2017
Valentini is scheduled to sit for a deposition July 18, according to court records.

— steve schmadeke, chicagotribune.com, "Foxx declines to represent political foe Alvarez in lawsuit deposition", 22 June 2017
Gene Kravitz, by the way, is expected for a deposition next month.

— by jose lambiet, miamiherald, "Dentist snooped in jilted wife’s prescription records, lawsuit alleges", 22 June 2017
Where some saw evidence of one catastrophic event, others saw multiple depositions that happened over time.

— brian switek, Scientific American Blog Network, "The Making of an Allosaurus Graveyard", 21 June 2017
The program has been well documented, but under deposition, with a camera focused on their faces, Drs.

— charles p. pierce, Esquire, "We Make Our Own Monsters, Even Out of Ourselves", 21 June 2017
Trump eventually lost the case on appeal in 2011, but his 2007 trial deposition—led by O’Brien’s attorney Mary Jo White, who went on to become Obama’s S.E.C. chairperson—offers a fascinating glimpse into the mind of Donald Trump.

— suzanna andrews, The Hive, "Is the White House Now Just Another Trump Inc. Subsidiary?", 19 June 2017

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

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First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

DEPOSITION Defined for English Language Learners

deposition

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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

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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

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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)

Additional Notes on deposition

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.