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depose

verb
de·​pose | \ di-ˈpōz How to pronounce depose (audio) , dē-\
deposed; deposing

Definition of depose

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 recess— Francis 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 : affirm, assert
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

intransitive verb

: to bear witness
Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about depose

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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

 Over time, the general public was sparingly permitted access to pieces of the park, until Queen Isabella II was deposed by La Gloria — the Spanish revolution — in 1868, and all of the park’s wonders finally became open to everyone. — Samantha Karlin, Washington Post, "In the heart of Madrid, a park for all seasons," 9 Aug. 2019 In 1553, King Henry VIII’s daughter Mary was proclaimed Queen of England after Lady Jane Grey was deposed. — BostonGlobe.com, "This day in history," 19 July 2019 The deal breaks weeks of political impasse and escalating violence between civilian protesters and the military since Bashir was deposed by a coup in April. — NBC News, "Sudan's rival groups reach power-sharing agreement after mass protests," 5 July 2019 That campaign began with the deaths of hundreds of Brotherhood supporters six weeks after Morsy was deposed, when police descended on a protest camp in a Cairo suburb. — Tim Lister, CNN, "Mohamed Morsy: A polarizing legacy," 17 June 2019 The maddening king of fantasy was deposed; the oligarchy of the writers’ room presided. — Namwali Serpell, New York Times, "How Social-Media Meme-Makers Rescued ‘Game of Thrones’ From Itself," 6 June 2019 Between 872 and 965, no fewer than 24 popes were coronated in Rome (between 896 and 904, there was roughly one pope appointed per year!) Occupational hazards of the papacy included being deposed, thrown in prison, or murdered. — National Geographic, "In 897, the corpse of a pope was exhumed—to be put on trial.," 20 Aug. 2019 If Belichick’s blueprint had gone to plan, Jimmy Garoppolo would have at least been given the chance to depose Brady. — Christopher L. Gasper, BostonGlobe.com, "Here’s the deal: Tom Brady’s Patriot days could be over after this season," 8 Aug. 2019 Patrick Turner, Gary Cavaletto and Bill Vinovich—to be deposed in New Orleans in September. — Michael Mccann, SI.com, "Roger Goodell Under Oath: No-Call Lawsuit Means Deposition for Commissioner," 30 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'depose.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of depose

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

History and Etymology for depose

Middle English, from Anglo-French deposer, from Late Latin deponere (perfect indicative deposui), from Latin, to put down

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More Definitions for depose

depose

verb
How to pronounce depose (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of depose

: to remove (someone) from a powerful position

See the full definition for depose in the English Language Learners Dictionary

depose

verb
de·​pose | \ di-ˈpōz How to pronounce depose (audio) \
deposed; deposing

Kids Definition of depose

: to remove from a high office depose a king

depose

verb
de·​pose | \ di-ˈpōz How to pronounce depose (audio) \
deposed; deposing

Legal Definition of depose

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 defendants — National Law Journal — compare examine

intransitive verb

: testify the plaintiff deposed in person to many specific facts — Mintz v. Atlantic Coast Line R. Co., 72 S.E.2d 38 (1952)

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More from Merriam-Webster on depose

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with depose

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for depose

Spanish Central: Translation of depose

Nglish: Translation of depose for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of depose for Arabic Speakers

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