deposition

noun

de·​po·​si·​tion ˌde-pə-ˈzi-shən How to pronounce deposition (audio)
ˌdē-pə-
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 adjective

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
As a result, Paige is often infuriating during meetings and depositions, dropping youth-speak like gaslit and my guy while taking the kind of aggressive posture that looks impressive on video and fires up followers. Noel Murray, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2024 Attorneys for the plaintiffs in that case have said they were surprised by the shooting and unsure whether it was connected to the Stines deposition, which lasted several hours. Lucas Aulbach, The Courier-Journal, 25 Nov. 2024 Earlier this month, Paxton filed a motion asking District Judge Jan Soifer to reconsider her previous ruling upholding the depositions, which Soifer again denied. Hogan Gore, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024 In depositions, multiple nurses reported that the jail had no way to track whether a patient had received their medication. Kelly Davis, The Mercury News, 4 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for deposition 

Word History

Etymology

see depose

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

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

Dictionary Entries Near deposition

Cite this Entry

“Deposition.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deposition. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

deposition

noun
de·​po·​si·​tion ˌdep-ə-ˈzish-ən How to pronounce deposition (audio)
ˌdē-pə-
1
: the act of removing a person from high office
the deposition of the king
2
: a statement especially in writing made under oath
3
: the action or process of depositing
the deposition of silt by a stream
4
: something deposited : deposit
depositional
-ˈzish-nəl How to pronounce deposition (audio)
-ən-ᵊl
adjective

Medical Definition

deposition

noun
de·​po·​si·​tion ˌdep-ə-ˈzi-shən How to pronounce deposition (audio) ˌdē-pə- How to pronounce deposition (audio)
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

Legal Definition

deposition

noun
de·​po·​si·​tion ˌde-pə-ˈzi-shən How to pronounce deposition (audio)
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 questionsFederal 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.

Etymology

Late Latin depositio testimony, from Latin, act of depositing, from deponere to put down, deposit

More from Merriam-Webster on deposition

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