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

This means government officials from Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the state will be deposed under oath. —Brittney Melton, NPR, 16 Apr. 2025

Both men, who are two of Sudan’s most powerful generals, jointly deposed the country’s long-time leader Omar al-Bashir in 2019 and subsequently played a role in a military coup two years later. —Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2025

But General Nguema deposed him in 2023 after 14 years, ending one of Africa’s longest eras of family rule. —Elian Peltier, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025

What was conveyed to us is that the kids have been spilling out their guts deposing and going through this civil lawsuit. —Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 9 Apr. 2025

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

Rhymes for depose

• aloes
• arose
• bedclothes
• bestows
• boroughs
• buboes
• cargoes
• cocos
• compose
• crossbows
• demos
• disclose

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)