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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Former trustee Micah Young is scheduled to be deposed in the same case on June 11. Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 June 2025 After Gaddafi was deposed, Libya fell into civil war and currently exists in a state of fragile ceasefire that could be broken at any time. Faisal Kutty, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 May 2025 Yesterday, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals denied the Trump administration's appeal of an order mandating government officials be deposed about the deportation of Abrego Garcia. Brittney Melton, NPR, 18 Apr. 2025 The district court granted most of CREW's request for information, including deposing Gleason. Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 23 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for depose

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Depose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/depose. Accessed 26 Jun. 2025.

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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