deposed; deposing
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
Francis Berry3
[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
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
National Law Journal
: 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
To be clear: Schumer is not at risk of being deposed in short order, and Democrats do not carry House Republicans’ appetite for cannibalizing their own.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 14 Mar. 2025
On July 10, Jane became queen but was deposed nine days later after her support melted away in the wake of an uprising by Mary’s supporters.
—Pan Pylas, Chicago Tribune, 9 Mar. 2025
Bin Nayef was previously the heir to the Saudi throne but he was deposed in a palace coup in 2017 and has been in detention since 2020.
—Adam Crafton, The Athletic, 19 Feb. 2025
The investigators later traveled to New York to depose Bridges.
—Rebecca Brenner Graham / Made By History, TIME, 4 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for depose
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Philip Elliott, TIME, 14 Mar. 2025
On July 10, Jane became queen but was deposed nine days later after her support melted away in the wake of an uprising by Mary’s supporters.
—Pan Pylas, Chicago Tribune, 9 Mar. 2025
Bin Nayef was previously the heir to the Saudi throne but he was deposed in a palace coup in 2017 and has been in detention since 2020.
—Adam Crafton, The Athletic, 19 Feb. 2025
The investigators later traveled to New York to depose Bridges.
—Rebecca Brenner Graham / Made By History, TIME, 4 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for depose
Articles Related to depose
Cite this Entry
“Depose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/depose. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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
National Law Journal
: testify
the plaintiff deposed in person to many specific facts—Mintz v. Atlantic Coast Line R. Co., 72 S.E.2d 38 (1952)
Mintz v. Atlantic Coast Line R. Co., 72 S.E.2d 38 (1952)Love words? Need even more definitions?
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