depose

verb

de·​pose di-ˈpōz 

dē-

deposed; deposing

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 in 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 of depose

• topple
• dethrone
• sack
• dismiss
• unseat
• oust
• deprive
• unmake
• defrock

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

The House oversight committee held depositions with former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in late February after Comer deposed the couple. —Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 24 Apr. 2026

The committee has deposed numerous people who knew Epstein, including Ohio billionaire Les Wexner, who hired Epstein to manage his finances, and former President Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. —Justine McDaniel, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026

Then came Obiang, who took power in 1979 by deposing his uncle, Nguema, and overturned the ban. —ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026

Last week, Polis was deposed under oath by Moss’ attorneys. —Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 21 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for depose

• aloes
• arose
• bedclothes
• bestows
• boroughs
• buboes
• cargoes
• cocos
• compose
• crossbows
• demos
• disclose

Kids 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

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)