Definition of DEPOSITION (original) (raw)
1
a
law : a testifying especially before a court
was sworn in before giving his deposition
b
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
Synonyms
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 Stines was expected to give a deposition related to a 2022 lawsuit on Monday, the Courier Journal reported. —
Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY, 20 Sep. 2024 Detroit police officials had mostly declined to comment, citing the lawsuit, but the Free Press reviewed the entire transcript of a deposition given by the DPD's lead investigator in the case. —Paul Egan, Detroit Free Press, 20 Sep. 2024 Thus far, lead Fubo attorney Mark Hansen writes in the letter, the two sides in the case as well as third parties have produced more than 515,000 documents and taken 28 depositions. —Dade Hayes, Deadline, 11 Sep. 2024 Each of those methods has uncertainties that are compounded by gaps in the sediment caused by the drilling process and by natural pauses in the deposition of material. —Howard Lee, Ars Technica, 8 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for deposition 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'deposition.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
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 1 Oct. 2024.
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Last Updated: 24 Sep 2024 - Updated example sentences
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