deposit

1 of 2

verb

de·​pos·​it di-ˈpä-zət How to pronounce deposit (audio)
deposited di-ˈpä-zə-təd How to pronounce deposit (audio)
-ˈpäz-təd
; depositing di-ˈpä-zə-tiŋ How to pronounce deposit (audio)
-ˈpäz-tiŋ

transitive verb

1
: to place especially for safekeeping or as a pledge
depositing her tools in the trunk of the car
especially, economics : to put in a bank
having your paycheck automatically deposited into your bank account
2
a
: to lay down : place
deposited himself in the chair next to me
b
: to let fall (something, such as sediment)
layers of mud that had been deposited by the flood

intransitive verb

: to become deposited
depositor
di-ˈpä-zə-tər How to pronounce deposit (audio)
-ˈpäz-tər
noun

deposit

2 of 2

noun

1
: the state of being deposited
2
: something placed for safekeeping: such as
a
: money deposited in a bank
making a deposit or a withdrawal
a deposit of $3,000
b
: money given as a pledge or down payment
put down a deposit on a new house
3
: a place of deposit : depository
4
: an act of laying or putting something or someone down : an act of depositing
the deposit of boulders by ancient glaciers
5
a
: something laid down
especially : matter deposited by a natural process
sandy deposits at the river's mouth
fatty deposits in the arteries
b
geology : a natural accumulation (as of iron ore, coal, or gas)

Examples of deposit in a Sentence

Verb Your paycheck will be automatically deposited into your account. I deposited over $3,000 this afternoon. Please deposit your things in your room and return to the hotel lobby. The taxi deposited us at the train station. Noun Our records show that she made a large deposit to her account earlier in the month. If you return that empty soda can, you'll get back the five-cent deposit you paid when you bought the soda. The rental car company requires a deposit for drivers under the age of 25. a deposit of mud left by the flood He had surgery to remove calcium deposits from his knee. the buildup of fat deposits in the arteries Their company has discovered new oil deposits below the ocean floor.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
It can also be converted to cash when deposited into accounts at prices set in online trading. CBS News, 14 Mar. 2024 El Royale gamers, however, should note that bonus values are dependent on the payment alternative used to deposit. Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024 On Thursday, after months of uncertainty caused by the hesitations of Turkey and Hungary, Sweden officially became a member by depositing its legal paperwork — its instrument of accession to the North Atlantic Treaty — with the U.S. State Department in Washington. Steven Erlanger, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2024 The next step was to collect sand samples at different depths to find out when those sands were deposited. Mindy Weisberger, CNN, 4 Mar. 2024 However, in transit, the cholesterol contained in LDL can be prematurely deposited in the arterial wall, promoting clogging. Bryant Stamford, The Courier-Journal, 29 Feb. 2024 In less than 45 minutes, about 3,800 pounds of trout were deposited into the 120-acre lake, located within Shawnee Mission Park at West 79th Street and Renner Road in Shawnee. Debra Skodack, Kansas City Star, 28 Feb. 2024 Ammonia and hydrogen peroxide act together to open up the cuticle, interact with melanin and keratin (those are responsible for color and texture), and change the structure in order to deposit dye. Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 27 Feb. 2024 Buyers must deposit $1,000 per lot in Pipestone, and will lose the deposit if the offer is not acted upon within 90 days. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024
Noun
Home buyers put down deposits and took out mortgages to buy the properties. Bloomberg, Fortune Asia, 22 Mar. 2024 Hydraulic fracturing involves pumping huge volumes of water, sand and chemicals underground under pressure intense enough to break layers of rock that contain oil or natural gas deposits so that the fossil fuel can be extracted. Maysoon Khan, Quartz, 19 Mar. 2024 While deposits are immediately credited to your casino account, withdrawals might take up to 48 hours to appear. Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2024 The day after, these operators began setting up accounts for players age 21 and over and receiving monetary deposits. Gary D. Robertson, Fortune, 11 Mar. 2024 The allocation process grants committed buyers 14 days to secure their piece with a 25% deposit, with the remaining balance due pre-delivery. Cait Bazemore, Robb Report, 11 Mar. 2024 Without a shield, Trump would be vulnerable to collection starting next week, when his 30 days to post a bond or deposit plus interest with the court before Carroll could collect were set to expire. John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 8 Mar. 2024 Policies like declining service to a person with a certain hair type or requiring high deposits that are nonrefundable reinforce the sentiment that some Instagram hairstylists are only in it for the transaction and not the interaction. Annie Blay, Allure, 6 Mar. 2024 Ultimately, the researchers want to edit elephant DNA to incorporate traits that allowed mammoths to survive the cold, like shaggy hair, curved tusks and fat deposits. Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'deposit.' 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

Verb and Noun

Latin depositus, past participle of deponere — see depose

First Known Use

Verb

1624, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1621, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of deposit was in 1621

Dictionary Entries Near deposit

Cite this Entry

“Deposit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deposit. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

deposit

1 of 2 verb
de·​pos·​it di-ˈpäz-ət How to pronounce deposit (audio)
1
: to place for safekeeping
especially : to put money in a bank
2
: to give as a pledge that a purchase will be made or a service used
deposit $10 on a new bicycle
3
: to lay down : place, put
deposit a parcel on a table
4
: to let fall or sink
silt deposited by a flood
depositor
-ˈpäz-ət-ər How to pronounce deposit (audio)
-ˈpäz-tər
noun

deposit

2 of 2 noun
1
: the state of being deposited
money on deposit
2
a
: something placed for safekeeping
especially : money deposited in a bank
b
: money given as a pledge or down payment
3
: an act of depositing
4
: something laid or thrown down
a deposit of silt left by the flood
5
: an accumulation of mineral matter (as ore, oil, or gas) in nature

Medical Definition

deposit

1 of 2 transitive verb
de·​pos·​it di-ˈpäz-ət How to pronounce deposit (audio)
: to lay down or foster the accumulation of as a deposit
crystals are deposited in the articular cartilage, the synovium, and the capsuleMedical Radiography & Photography

deposit

2 of 2 noun
: matter laid down or accumulated especially in a living organism by a normal or abnormal process
removal of calcium deposits in his knees by arthroscopic surgery

Legal Definition

deposit

1 of 2 transitive verb
de·​pos·​it di-ˈpä-zət How to pronounce deposit (audio)
1
: to place for safekeeping or as security
may deposit the property with the court
especially : to put in a bank account
2
in the civil law of Louisiana : to place (movable property) under a deposit
the depository can not make use of the thing depositedLouisiana Civil Code
depositor noun

deposit

2 of 2 noun
1
: the state of being deposited (as in an account)
holding the property on deposit
compare escrow, trust
2
: something placed for safekeeping: as
a
: money deposited in a bank especially to one's credit
demand deposit
: a bank deposit that can be withdrawn without prior notice
general deposit
: a deposit of money in a bank that is to the credit of the depositor thereby giving the depositor the right to money and creating a debtor-creditor relationship
special deposit
: a deposit that is made for a specific purpose, that is to be returned to the depositor, and that creates a bailment or trust
time deposit
: a bank deposit that can be withdrawn only after a set period of time or with prior notice
b
: something given as security see also security deposit

Note: A deposit may be applied to a purchase price or may be considered partial payment.

3
in the civil law of Louisiana
a
: the gratuitous transfer of possession of movable property to another for a limited time or specified purpose such that the depositary is liable to some extent for loss or damage to the property see also sequestration compare bailment, hiring, loan for consumption and loan for use at loan

Note: Like the common-law bailment, the civil law deposit requires either actual or constructive delivery.

necessary deposit
: a deposit compelled by a sudden emergency

Note: The Louisiana Civil Code deems the deposit of travelers' belongings with an innkeeper a necessary deposit.

voluntary deposit
: a deposit that is made by the mutual consent of the depositor and depositary

Note: The consent required may be express or implied, and because of the requirements of consent, only persons with the capacity to contract can make a voluntary deposit.

b
: the movable property that is the object of a deposit
the depositary is bound to use the same diligence in preserving the deposit that he uses in preserving his own propertyLouisiana Civil Code
4
: an act of depositing
upon the deposit of the money in the escrow account
5
: depository
night deposit

More from Merriam-Webster on deposit

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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