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

2 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

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.

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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

This Is Taylor Swift's Full Groping Deposition Error loading player: No playable sources found Follow Marie Claire on Facebook for the latest celeb news, beauty tips, fascinating reads, livestream video, and more.

— mehera bonner, Marie Claire, "Taylor Swift Is Going to Court Next Week and You Could Be in the Room," 3 Aug. 2017
Federal court records indicated a new hearing was set for Aug. 23, when Bradley was expected to a give video deposition.

— nomaan merchant, The Courier-Journal, "Mexican government reuniting smuggling victims with families," 27 July 2017
Reporters digging for dirt found a deposition from a former employee stating that Ross had committed perjury in an unrelated civil suit brought by a contractor.

— jacqui shine, Longreads, "Percy Ross Wants to Give You Money!," 20 July 2017
The judge fined Kobach and ordered he submit to a deposition by the American Civil Liberties Union.

— roxana hegeman, The Seattle Times, "Kansas agency investigates Kobach over voting allegations," 17 July 2017
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

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

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

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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

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.