depose

verb

de·​pose di-ˈpōz How to pronounce depose (audio)
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 recessFrancis 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
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 defendantsNational Law Journal

intransitive verb

: to bear witness

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 In January 2023 — the same month the law took effect — lawyers for the county deposed a whistleblower who’d accused officials of failing to protect him from a deputy gang known as the Banditos. Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024 While her request to depose Clinton was denied, Giuffre was allowed to depose several other individuals, including Maxwell, the Friday documents show. David Jackson, USA TODAY, 5 Jan. 2024 Chairman James Comer of the House Oversight Committee issued a subpoena earlier this month to depose Hunter Biden on Dec. 13. Lucien Bruggeman, ABC News, 28 Nov. 2023 Thompson wasn’t deposed for the lawsuit against him in Orange County. David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 23 Feb. 2024 He was plucked from relative obscurity to corral the unruly conference after his predecessor as speaker, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), was deposed for working with Democrats to pass other spending measures. Marianna Sotomayor, Washington Post, 16 Feb. 2024 Additionally, Berger said an employee deposed during the case admitted to falsifying chlorine levels to DHEC for three and a half years. USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2024 Attorneys for Jocelyn Wade had subpoenaed Willis to be deposed in the divorce proceedings, which Willis fought. Katrina Kaufman, CBS News, 30 Jan. 2024 In an emergency hearing Monday, Thompson also stayed a subpoena for Willis to be deposed in the divorce case until after Nathan Wade is deposed Jan. 31. Holly Bailey and Amy Gardner The Washington Post, arkansasonline.com, 23 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'depose.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

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

Dictionary Entries Near depose

Cite this Entry

“Depose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/depose. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

depose

verb
de·​pose di-ˈpōz How to pronounce depose (audio)
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 How to pronounce depose (audio)
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 defendantsNational Law Journal
compare examine

intransitive verb

: testify
the plaintiff deposed in person to many specific factsMintz v. Atlantic Coast Line R. Co., 72 S.E.2d 38 (1952)

More from Merriam-Webster on depose

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