deposition

[ dep-uh-zish-uhn, dee-puh- ]

noun

1. removal from an office or position.
2. the act or process of depositing:

   deposition of the documents with the Library of Congress.

3. the state of being deposited or precipitated:

   deposition of soil at the mouth of a river.

4. something that is deposited.
5. Law.
   1. the giving of testimony under oath.
   2. the testimony so given.
   3. a statement under oath, taken down in writing, to be used in court in place of the spoken testimony of the witness.
6. Ecclesiastical.
   1. the interment of the body of a saint.
   2. the reinterment of the body or the relics of a saint.
7. (initial capital letter) a work of art depicting Christ being lowered from the Cross.

deposition

¹

/ ˌdiːpə-; ˌdɛpəˈzɪʃən /

noun

1. law
   1. the giving of testimony on oath
   2. the testimony so given
   3. the sworn statement of a witness used in court in his absence
2. the act or instance of deposing
3. the act or an instance of depositing
4. something that is deposited; deposit

Deposition

²

/ ˌdiːpə-; ˌdɛpəˈzɪʃən /

noun

1. the taking down of Christ's body from the Cross or a representation of this

deposition

/ dĕp′ə-zĭsh′ən /

1. The accumulation or laying down of matter by a natural process, as the laying down of sediments in a river or the accumulation of mineral deposits in a bodily organ.
2. The process of changing from a gas to a solid without passing through an intermediate liquid phase. Carbon dioxide, at a pressure of one atmosphere, undergoes deposition at about −78 degrees Celsius.
3. Compare sublimation

Other Words From

• depo·sition·al adjective
• postdep·o·sition·al adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of deposition¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin dēpositiōn-, stem of dēpositiō “a putting aside, testimony, burial,” equivalent to Latin dēposit(us) “laid down” ( deposit ) + -iō -ion

Word History and Origins

Origin of deposition¹

C14: from Late Latin dēpositiō a laying down, disposal, burying, testimony

Related Words

• affidavit
• allegation
• announcement
• evidence
• testimony