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
At the center of the defense team’s argument was Khalil Quinan, the former lead prosecutor on the case, who withdrew after a judge ruled he could be deposed and questioned under oath about his access to the material.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 22 May 2025
Sauer made his request following a lower court's decision to allow a government watchdog to depose DOGE staffers to gain greater understanding of the department's workings, arguing it should be subjected to the same rules which apply to any federal agency.
—Dan Gooding
gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 May 2025
Klarna recently deposed rival Affirm to become Walmart’s exclusive BNPL provider.
—J.j. McCorvey, NBC news, 20 May 2025
Most Peruvian presidents during Pope Leo’s stay in Peru were indicted, impeached, or deposed, and one of them, Alan García, who served two terms, rather than facing jail, committed suicide.
—Alejandro Antonio Chafuen, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for depose
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Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 22 May 2025
Sauer made his request following a lower court's decision to allow a government watchdog to depose DOGE staffers to gain greater understanding of the department's workings, arguing it should be subjected to the same rules which apply to any federal agency.
—Dan Gooding
gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 May 2025
Klarna recently deposed rival Affirm to become Walmart’s exclusive BNPL provider.
—J.j. McCorvey, NBC news, 20 May 2025
Most Peruvian presidents during Pope Leo’s stay in Peru were indicted, impeached, or deposed, and one of them, Alan García, who served two terms, rather than facing jail, committed suicide.
—Alejandro Antonio Chafuen, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for depose
Cite this Entry
“Depose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/depose. Accessed 4 Jun. 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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