noun
deposition
dehp-uh-ZIHSH-uhn
noun
1
The formal removal of someone from a position of power or office.
"The deposition of the president shocked the international community."
2
A formal, sworn statement of testimony given outside a courtroom, usually during legal proceedings.
"Her deposition lasted more than six hours."
3
The natural process by which material such as sediment, snow, or frost settles or builds up somewhere.
"Over centuries, the deposition of sediment formed the river delta."
How to Use Deposition
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishRemoving someone from power, giving sworn legal testimony, or material gradually settling in one place.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
give a deposition
sediment deposition
the deposition of the king
Word Forms
depositions plural
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Etymology
From Old French deposicion, from Latin depositio, related to "deposit" and "depose" (whose meanings became historically intertwined).