deposition

American  

[dep-uh-zish-uhn, dee-puh-] / ˌdɛp əˈzɪʃ ən, ˌdi pə- /

noun

1. removal from an office or position.

2. the act or process of depositing.

   deposition of the documents with the Library of Congress.

3. the state of being deposited or precipitated.

   deposition of soil at the mouth of a river.

4. something that is deposited.

5. Law.

   1. the giving of testimony under oath.

   2. the testimony so given.

   3. a statement under oath, taken down in writing, to be used in court in place of the spoken testimony of the witness.

6. Ecclesiastical.

   1. the interment of the body of a saint.

   2. the reinterment of the body or the relics of a saint.

7. (initial capital letter) a work of art depicting Christ being lowered from the Cross.

---

deposition ¹ British  

/ ˌdiːpə-, ˌdɛpəˈzɪʃən /

noun

1. law

   1. the giving of testimony on oath

   2. the testimony so given

   3. the sworn statement of a witness used in court in his absence

2. the act or instance of deposing

3. the act or an instance of depositing

4. something that is deposited; deposit

---

Deposition ² British  

/ ˌdiːpə-, ˌdɛpəˈzɪʃən /

noun

1. the taking down of Christ's body from the Cross or a representation of this

---

deposition Scientific  

/ dĕp′ə-zĭsh′ən /

1. The accumulation or laying down of matter by a natural process, as the laying down of sediments in a river or the accumulation of mineral deposits in a bodily organ.

2. The process of changing from a gas to a solid without passing through an intermediate liquid phase. Carbon dioxide, at a pressure of one atmosphere, undergoes deposition at about −78 degrees Celsius.

3. Compare sublimation

---

Other Word Forms

• depositional adjective
• postdepositional adjective

Etymology

Origin of deposition

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin dēpositiōn-, stem of dēpositiō “a putting aside, testimony, burial,” equivalent to Latin dēposit(us) “laid down” ( deposit ) + -iō -ion

Example Sentences

The closed-door deposition will be recorded, with video set for release later.

From Los Angeles Times

Moraes said the prosecution's case did not rest solely on Lessa's cooperation and that "various pieces of evidence, depositions, and documents" backed up his confession.

From Barron's

The county has said the cost of taking depositions for more than 11,000 cases would be “astronomical,” and that no records exist for many of the older cases, leaving them defenseless.

From Los Angeles Times

The Wednesday morning closed-door deposition Wednesday morning took place at the 88-year-old’s residence in New Albany, Ohio.

From The Wall Street Journal

During the closed-door deposition, Maxwell refused to answer questions and pleaded the Fifth Amendment, invoking her right to remain silent, Oversight Committee chairman James Comer said.

From BBC

Related Words

• affidavit
• allegation
• announcement
• evidence
• testimony