deposition

deposition — noun

1. a document that records the answers a person gives under oath when lawyers quest

1.nounC1
Definition

a document that records the answers a person gives under oath when lawyers question them about a legal case, prepared outside of court and later offered as proof at a trial.

Example

The lawyer took Ishaan's deposition in a quiet room near the courthouse.

take someone's deposition

During the deposition, Elena was asked about the emails she had received from the company.

Common collocations
  • take a deposition
  • give a deposition
  • sworn deposition
  • read a deposition
  • deposition testimony
Synonyms
  • testimony

    broader term for any evidence given under oath, whether in or out of court

  • affidavit

    a written statement made under oath but usually not involving live questioning by a lawyer

  • statement

    general term; a statement may or may not be sworn under oath

Grammar Patterns

make / give a deposition

deposition + about + noun

take a deposition (from someone)

Usage Note

Frequently used with the verbs 'take', 'give', and 'make'. A deposition is taken outside of court by one side's lawyer, but the witness answers under oath just as they would in a courtroom. The written document produced is also called a deposition.

Common Mistakes

The lawyer made a deposition from the witness.
The lawyer took a deposition from the witness.
the standard verb for the lawyer's action is 'take', not 'make'.
The deposition was said in court.
The deposition was read in court.' or 'The deposition was presented in court.
depositions are written documents, not speeches.

2. the natural process in which loose materials such as sand, soil, or minerals set

2.nounC1
Definition

the natural process in which loose materials such as sand, soil, or minerals settle out of water or wind and slowly build up in layers, or the layer of material that forms in this way.

Example

Over millions of years, the deposition of sediment created thick layers of sandstone.

deposition of + sediment/soil

The geologist studied the river delta to understand how sediment deposition shapes the coastline.

Common collocations
  • sediment deposition
  • deposition of sediment
  • soil deposition
  • deposition rate
  • rapid deposition
  • layer of deposition
Synonyms
  • sedimentation

    nearly identical; more technical, used specifically for particles settling in liquid

  • accumulation

    broader term; does not imply a natural, layer-forming process

  • settling

    simple term for particles falling to the bottom of a liquid

Antonyms
  • erosion

    the process of wearing away material rather than building it up

Grammar Patterns

deposition of + noun (sediment/soil/minerals)

sediment / soil / mineral deposition

Usage Note

Common in geology and earth science contexts. Often paired with 'erosion' as the opposing process: erosion wears material away, deposition builds it up. When the focus is on the resulting layer, the word can be countable (e.g., 'a thin deposition of clay').

Common Mistakes

The deposition of the river caused flooding.
The deposition of sediment in the river caused flooding.
the river itself is not deposited; the sediment carried by the river is.
Deposition is when rocks break down.
Deposition is when materials settle and build up.
breaking down is 'erosion' or 'weathering', not deposition.

3. the act of a substance, object, or material being put or left in a particular pl

3.nounC1
Definition

the act of a substance, object, or material being put or left in a particular place — for example, wax building up inside a pipe, or dust settling on a surface — or the substance that is left behind in this way.

Example

The deposition of wax inside the old pipes caused the water to flow more slowly.

deposition of + common substance

Each rainstorm added to the deposition of mud along the driveway near the garage.

Common collocations
  • wax deposition
  • dust deposition
  • calcium deposition
  • deposition on surfaces
  • gradual deposition
Synonyms
  • build-up

    informal; describes the same gradual accumulation process

  • accumulation

    neutral and broad; less technical than 'deposition'

  • deposit

    the everyday noun; 'deposition' is more formal or scientific

Antonyms
  • removal

    taking away what has built up

  • clearance

    the act of clearing a surface or space of unwanted material

Grammar Patterns

deposition of + noun (dust/wax/calcium)

the deposition + on + surface

Usage Note

Broader than the geology sense (sense 2). This sense covers any situation where matter gradually builds up — in household appliances, on surfaces, or in industrial equipment. Unlike sense 2, it does not specifically imply a natural landscape process.

Common Mistakes

The deposition of money in the bank.
The deposit of money in the bank.
use 'deposit' (noun) for money; 'deposition' is for physical substances or legal statements.
There was a thick deposition of snow.
There was a thick deposit of snow.
'deposit' is more natural for snow; 'deposition' sounds technical.

4. the act of forcing a ruler, leader, or other important person to leave their pos

4.nounC1
Definition

the act of forcing a ruler, leader, or other important person to leave their position of power, usually through political or legal action rather than through a normal election or retirement.

Example

The general's deposition was followed by months of political uncertainty in the capital.

someone's deposition

After the king's deposition, a council of elders took charge of running the country.

deposition of + a leader

Common collocations
  • the deposition of a king
  • the deposition of a president
  • forced deposition
  • political deposition
  • deposition from power
Synonyms
  • ouster

    informal American English; common in news headlines

  • overthrow

    stronger; suggests violent or rebellious action

  • removal

    neutral and general; less formal than 'deposition'

  • dethronement

    specifically for a monarch; literary tone

Antonyms
  • coronation

    the formal ceremony of placing a monarch in power

  • inauguration

    the formal start of a political leader's term of office

Grammar Patterns

the deposition of + noun (king/president/dictator)

someone's deposition

Usage Note

Formal register, typical of political news and historical writing. The related verb is 'depose' (e.g., 'the army deposed the president'). Distinguish from sense 1 (legal statement), where the verb is 'depose' used differently — in law, 'to depose' means to give sworn testimony.

Common Mistakes

The deposition of the senator was caused by a scandal.
The senator was removed from office because of a scandal.
'deposition' implies being forced out of a high position by political or military action, not simply resigning or being fired.
The CEO's deposition surprised everyone.
The CEO's removal surprised everyone.
'deposition' is for political leaders or monarchs, not for business executives.

Word family

  • deposit
    verbB2
  • deposit
    nounB2
  • depose
    verbC2
  • deposed
    adjectiveC2
  • depositor
    nounC1
  • depository
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words refer to something a person says about a legal case, but they differ in procedure and form. 'Deposition' is a formal interview where a lawyer questions a witness under oath outside of court, and both the questions and answers are recorded for later use at trial. 'Testimony' is the broader term — it covers any evidence given under oath, whether during a deposition, at trial, or before a grand jury. 'Affidavit' is a written statement made under oath, but unlike a deposition, it does not involve live questioning by an opposing lawyer; the witness simply signs the document in front of a notary. 'Statement' is the most general and can refer to any account of events, sworn or unsworn. So a witness can give a 'statement' to the police informally, sign an 'affidavit' in a lawyer's office, be questioned in a 'deposition', and then repeat their story as 'testimony' in court.

deposition ↗testimony ↗affidavitstatement ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • deposition testimony
  • deposition witness
  • sediment deposition
  • soil deposition
  • wax deposition
  • dust deposition

Adverbs

  • sworn deposition
  • gradual deposition
  • rapid deposition
  • political deposition
  • forced deposition

Phrases

  • take a deposition
  • give a deposition
  • make a deposition
  • deposition from office
  • deposition of sediment

Prepositions

  • deposition of (someone)
  • deposition of (sediment)
  • deposition on (a surface)
  • deposition from (power)

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishModern English

'Deposition' comes from Latin 'depositio', meaning a laying down or putting aside. The Latin verb 'deponere' is built from 'de-' (down, away) and 'ponere' (to put, to place). It entered English through Old French 'deposition' in the 14th century with the general sense of 'a putting down'. By the 15th century, the legal meaning of a sworn written statement had developed — the idea of 'laying down' testimony in writing. The political sense of removing a leader from power came from the same root, as if 'putting them down' from their position. The geology and chemistry senses, describing material 'laid down' by natural processes, appeared later in the 17th and 18th centuries as scientific language grew.