depose

[dih-pohz]

See more synonyms for depose on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), de·posed, de·pos·ing.

to remove from office or position, especially high office: The people deposed the dictator.
to testify or affirm under oath, especially in a written statement: to depose that it was true.
Law. to take the deposition of; examine under oath: Two lawyers deposed the witness.

verb (used without object), de·posed, de·pos·ing.

to give sworn testimony, especially in writing.

Origin of depose

1250–1300; Middle English deposen < Old French deposer to put down, equivalent to de- de- + poser < Vulgar Latin *posāre, Late Latin pausāre; see pose¹

Related formsde·pos·a·ble, adjectivede·pos·er, nounun·de·pos·a·ble, adjectiveun·de·posed, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for depose

dismiss, impeach, overthrow, unseat, demote, dethrone, eject, subvert, cashier, upset, displace, bounce, break, chuck, degrade, downgrade, can, unmake, unfrock, discrown

Examples from the Web for depose

Contemporary Examples of depose

They also sought and were denied the opportunity to depose the president.
Bradley Manning: ‘I Will Recover From This ... This Is Just a Stage in My Life’
Alexa O'Brien
August 21, 2013
In London, where I met him on several occasions over the last decade, he invariably boasted of his latest efforts to depose Putin.
How Boris Berezovsky Made Vladimir Putin, and Putin Unmade Berezovsky
Owen Matthews
March 24, 2013
Douglas Vassy, the attorney for Battley who was supposed to depose Gingrich, says, “There was no deposition.”
Gingrich Claims of Veracity in Divorces Don’t Hold Up
Wayne Barrett, Kyle Roerink
December 30, 2011
He encouraged cross-border rebels seeking to depose the government of Chad.
What Will Be the Next Middle East Shock?
Rob Verger
February 24, 2011
Mass movements can depose a leader; or, indeed, as with Barack Obama, elect one.
Egypt's Leaderless Revolution
Anne-Marie Slaughter
February 14, 2011

Historical Examples of depose

They had grumbled at their chief and mutinied against him and helped to depose him.
The Grand Old Man
Richard B. Cook
In the end they voted a resolution to depose the government, and to elect another.
Hellenica
Xenophon
At Dalradern, where she ruled as mistress, an accident, a word might depose her.
Luttrell Of Arran
Charles James Lever
For years back Miss Barrington had been plotting to depose Darby.
Barrington
Charles James Lever
The first witness to depose alleged a number of most damaging facts.
The Gods are Athirst
Anatole France

British Dictionary definitions for depose

depose

verb

(tr) to remove from an office or position, esp one of power or rank
law to testify or give (evidence, etc) on oath, esp when taken down in writing; make a deposition

Derived Formsdeposable, adjectivedeposer, noun

Word Origin for depose

C13: from Old French deposer to put away, put down, from Late Latin dēpōnere to depose from office, from Latin: to put aside; see depone

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for depose

c.1300, from Old French deposer (12c.), from de- "down" (see de-) + poser "put, place" (see pose (v.1)). Related: Deposed; deposing.