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

Example Sentences

Atherosclerotic plaques form over decades through the deposition of blood lipids such as cholesterol in the innermost layer of the vessel wall.

From Science Daily

"We are primarily interested in the scientific question of the dynamics and deposition of Champati slide: how it flows, where it goes, how far, and with what force," said author Shiva Pudasaini from Kathmandu.

From Science Daily

During the first phase, lasting approximately 35 thousand years, salt deposition occurred only in the eastern Mediterranean, triggered by the restriction of Mediterranean outflow to the Atlantic, in an otherwise brine-filled Mediterranean basin.

From Science Daily

“Things are very different now. Things evolved during the period of time that I was there where the police commissioners, for all intents and purposes, provided a rubber stamp,” he said in the deposition.

From Los Angeles Times

He denied the charges and attacked Carroll in interviews, depositions and on social media, calling her a “nut job” and “not my type.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• affidavit
• allegation
• announcement
• evidence
• testimony