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depose

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Depose is defined as to forcefully and suddenly remove someone from office, or to testify or present evidence under oath in a legal proceeding.

(verb)

When you overthrow the government and the military dictator is tossed out of office, this is an example of when you depose the dictator.
When you witness a crime and the defense attorney and prosecutor question you under oath to find out what you will say in court, this is an example of when the prosecutor and attorney depose you.

See depose in Webster's New World College Dictionary

transitive verb deposed, deposing

to remove from office or a position of power, esp. from a throne; oust
Archaic to lay down
Law
1. to state or testify under oath but out of court
2. to take the deposition of (a witness)

Origin: ME deposen, to deprive of office, testify < OFr deposer, to set down < de- (L de), from, away + poser (see pose), to cease, lie down; confused in sense and form with L deponere (pp. depositus), to lay down, lay aside (in ML, testify): see deposit

intransitive verb

to bear witness

Related Forms:

deposable adjective

See depose in American Heritage Dictionary 4

verb de·posed, de·pos·ing, de·pos·es

verb, transitive

a. To remove from office or power.
b. To dethrone.
Law To take a deposition from: Investigators will depose the witness behind closed doors.
To put or lay down; deposit.

verb, intransitive
Law

To give testimony by affidavit or deposition.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English deposen

Origin: , from Old French deposer

Origin: , alteration (influenced by poser, to put)

Origin: of Latin dēpōnere, to put down; see depone

Related Forms: