WordValedeposition
sworn out-of-court testimony recorded for later use
In more detail
1. (noun) the process of giving sworn testimony in court or in a legal proceeding
2. (noun) the laying down or accumulation of material, especially sediment or mineral deposits, in a natural process
3. (noun) the removal or discharge of someone from an important position, especially a ruler or leader
Examples
- 1. The witness gave a deposition about what she saw at the accident.
- 2. The deposition of layers of rock over millions of years created the geological formations.
- 3. The deposition of the king led to the establishment of a new government.
How to use deposition
Deposition in legal contexts refers to sworn testimony given outside of trial, typically recorded and transcribed. In geological contexts, it describes the natural process by which material settles and accumulates, forming sedimentary layers. The political sense, meaning removal from power, is more formal and historical. All three senses are standard but belong to different specialized domains.
Common phrases
- take a deposition
- give a deposition
- deposition of sediment
- mineral deposition
- deposition of a monarch
Synonyms
testimony · statement · declaration · affidavit · sediment accumulation
Opposites
appointment · installation · coronation
Word family
deposit (verb/noun) · depositor (noun) · depositional (adjective)
A common mistake
Learners sometimes confuse the legal deposition (testimony) with the political deposition (removal), leading to misunderstanding in historical or legal texts. Additionally, in American English the geological sense is often pluralized as 'depositions of minerals,' which can sound awkward.
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