depose

verb

de·​pose di-ˈpōz 

dē-

deposed; deposing

transitive verb

1

: to remove from a throne or other high position

plotting to depose the king

a deposed military leader

2

: to put down : deposit

deposing the sacrament in a carved recess

—Francis Berry

3

[Middle English, from Medieval Latin deponere, from Late Latin]

a

law : to testify to under oath or by affidavit

deposed before the court that he had seen the defendant enter the building

b

: affirm, assert

c

law : to take testimony (see testimony sense 1a) from especially by deposition

depose a witness

plaintiffs … were entitled to depose experts retained by the defendants

—National Law Journal

intransitive verb

: to bear witness

Synonyms

• defrock
• deprive
• dethrone
• displace
• oust
• uncrown
• unmake
• unseat
• unthrone

Examples of depose in a Sentence

a military junta deposed the dictator after he had bankrupted the country

she was nervous when the time to depose before the jury finally arrived

Recent Examples on the Web

Sullivan also disagreed with MSG that Oakley is merely trying to depose Dolan to harass him. —Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 25 Nov. 2024

Currently, Paxton, who has maintained his innocence while not publicly commenting on the allegations against him, is scheduled to be deposed in Austin on Feb. 1. —Hogan Gore, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024

The decision drew uproar from the community, leading to the appointment of special prosecutor Dan Webb — who once famously deposed President Ronald Reagan over the Iran-Contra affair. —Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 21 Nov. 2024

Kentucky Court of Justice via AP Three days before the deadly shooting, Stines was deposed for nearly four hours in connection with a 2022 federal lawsuit that listed him as a defendant, a lawyer for the plaintiff in the suit said Wednesday. —Minyvonne Burke, NBC News, 26 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French deposer, from Late Latin deponere (perfect indicative deposui), from Latin, to put down

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

depose

verb

de·​pose di-ˈpōz 

deposed; deposing

1

: to remove from a high office

deposed the king

2

: to testify under oath or by a sworn written statement

Legal Definition

depose

verb

de·​pose di-ˈpōz 

deposed; deposing

transitive verb

1

: to testify to under oath or by sworn affidavit

2

: to take testimony from especially by deposition

plaintiffs…were entitled to depose experts retained by the defendants

—National Law Journal

compare examine

intransitive verb

: testify

the plaintiff deposed in person to many specific facts

—Mintz v. Atlantic Coast Line R. Co., 72 S.E.2d 38 (1952)