deposit
Americanverb (used with object)
-
deposits,
present (3rd person singular)
-
deposited,
past participle, past
-
depositing
present participle
-
to place for safekeeping or in trust, especially in a bank account.
He deposited his paycheck every Friday.
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to give as security or in part payment.
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to deliver and leave (an item).
Please deposit your returned books with the librarian.
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to insert (a coin) in a coin-operated device.
Deposit a quarter and push the button.
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to put, place, or set down, especially carefully or exactly.
She deposited the baby in the crib.
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to lay or throw down by a natural process; precipitate.
The river deposited soil at its mouth.
verb (used without object)
-
deposits,
present (3rd person singular)
-
deposited,
past participle, past
-
depositing
present participle
noun
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deposits
plural
-
money placed in a bank account or an instance of placing money in a bank account.
-
anything given as security or in part payment.
The boy returned the bottle and got his five-cent deposit back.
They made a deposit on the house and signed a ten-year mortgage.
-
anything laid away or entrusted to another for safekeeping.
A large deposit of jewels was stolen from the hotel safe.
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a place for safekeeping; depository.
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something precipitated, delivered and left, or thrown down, as by a natural process.
a deposit of soil.
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the natural sediment of wine in a bottle.
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a coating of metal deposited on something, usually by an electric current.
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a natural accumulation or occurrence, especially of oil or ore.
a mountain range with many rich deposits of gold.
verb
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to put or set down, esp carefully or in a proper place; place
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to entrust for safekeeping; consign
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to place (money) in a bank or similar institution in order to earn interest or for safekeeping
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to give (money) in part payment or as security
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to lay down naturally; cause to settle
the river deposits silt
noun
-
-
an instance of entrusting money or valuables to a bank or similar institution
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the money or valuables so entrusted
-
-
money given in part payment or as security, as when goods are bought on hire-purchase See also down payment
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a consideration, esp money, given temporarily as security against loss of or damage to something borrowed or hired
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an accumulation of sediments, mineral ores, coal, etc
-
any deposited material, such as a sediment or a precipitate that has settled out of solution
-
a coating produced on a surface, esp a layer of metal formed by electrolysis
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a depository or storehouse
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payable as the first instalment, as when buying on hire-purchase
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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depositsimple
-
depositssimple
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have depositedperfect
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has depositedperfect
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am depositingprogressive
-
are depositingprogressive
-
is depositingprogressive
-
have been depositingperfect progressive
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has been depositingperfect progressive
Past
-
depositedsimple
-
had depositedperfect
-
was depositingprogressive
-
were depositingprogressive
-
had been depositingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of deposit
First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin dēpositus “laid down,” past participle of dēpōnere; see depone
Explanation
You are making a deposit when you put money into your bank account. In that sentence, deposit is a noun, but you could express the same action using deposit as a verb. You deposit money into your bank account. The verb deposit can be used to refer to anything that you put down or in place. If you're carrying your keys and groceries from the car, you may deposit those items on the counter. Just be careful you don't end up playing "where are my keys" in the morning, if the counter is not your usual place for depositing them. You can also use deposit when nature does the placing. You find a deposit of gold in the mountain rock or there is sediment deposited at the bottom of a river.
Vocabulary lists containing deposit
Gold Rush: Mining and Metals
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Africa - Introductory
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Africa - Middle School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
That scheme, which initially ran between 2013 and 2021, enabled all home purchasers to put down a 5% deposit on a newly built home worth up to £600,000.
From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026
This week he withdrew his deposit, opting instead for a Toyota Sienna minivan that he could get sooner.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
These samples come from several distinct environments, including the crater floor, a fan-shaped deposit left by an ancient river, and the crater rim.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 21, 2026
The central bank raised its overnight deposit facility rate by a quarter percentage point to 5.0%, increasing the return banks receive on funds placed with it overnight.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
“I’m going to make a deposit on those silly hats,” Bongo muttered.
From "Wishtree" by Katherine Applegate
Financial products offered by Chinese financial institutions are growing faster than retail deposits, Moody’s Ratings says in a commentary.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
In the longer term, they say, the country needs to develop new deposits.
From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026
See Tickets' customer services department assured customers the error will not affect festival deposits, and ticket holders will be able to pay the remaining balance for their tickets as normal in April.
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026
A front loader takes a scoop from the mound of wood chips and deposits it on a bare platform.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026
It was only after the French discovered similar paintings, partially obscured by millennia-old mineral deposits, that the Altamira drawings were pronounced authentic.
From "The Annotated Mona Lisa" by Carol Strickland and John Boswell
But Purdue University, which has a leading role in the study, said the so-called Taraia Object "was likely a collection of large trees deposited along the peninsula's sandspit".
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026
Some may have been deposited as offerings during funerary ceremonies, while others appear to have been discarded as waste.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 18, 2026
Red-deer-skull headdresses deposited at Star Carr suggest a spiritual significance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
But these sites also come with dangers, as demonstrated by the massive Moss Landing battery fire in January 2025, which prompted the evacuation of about 1,500 residents and deposited heavy metals in a nearby estuary.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
I deposited Laleh in the kitchen with Mamou, who tried to feed Sohrab more Nowruz leftovers—it seemed they were self-replicating, and we might never run out—before we left again.
From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram
Since the prehistoric era, humans have recognized the ritual power of wetlands, some by depositing votive offerings into bogs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
To that end, his team is investigating methods of depositing sauce onto a pizza base far faster than the 9.5 seconds currently required.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
Researchers around the world have explored several possible solutions, including different dielectric materials, molecular seed layers, and alternative methods for depositing oxides.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026
Saturday is when people can start depositing more money in the accounts.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 2, 2026
Zara places the still-warm dish on a trivet on the table, and uses a spatula to lift three pieces from the pan, depositing them on plates for each of us.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
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