deposition
dep-uh-ZISH-un
/ˌdep.əˈzɪʃ.ən/
A formal, written statement made for use as evidence in court, taken under oath prior to trial during discovery.
A deposition is an out-of-court oral examination under oath recorded by a court reporter, where lawyers from both sides question a witness.
The story behind the word. From Latin 'de-' (down) and 'ponere' (to place or put). A deposition was originally the act of 'putting down' words into writing on a scroll or paper. In modern law, it is the process of setting down sworn pre-trial testimony onto the written record.
Word relationships
- sworn testimony: Sworn testimony is any statement under oath, while deposition is specifically pre-trial out-of-court testimony given during discovery.
- affidavit: An affidavit is a written statement, whereas a deposition involves live questioning by opposing counsel.
Commonly confused with
- affidavit: An affidavit is a written statement sworn voluntarily, whereas a deposition involves cross-examination questions recorded by a stenographer.
Word family
- depose (verb): Examine a witness under oath in a deposition.
- deponent (noun): A person who gives written testimony under oath.
Collocations
- take a deposition
- give a deposition
- deposition transcript
- video deposition
Example sentences
- "During her six-hour deposition, the corporate officer answered questions about the company's accounting practices." Civil litigation
Memory hook
DE-POSITION: The witness sits in a DEsignated POSITION to give pre-trial answers. Pre-trial witness questioning under oath.
When not to use
Do not confuse with trial testimony given live before a jury inside a courtroom during trial.
Fun facts
- In non-legal usage, 'deposition' can also mean the overthrowing of a king or the natural depositing of sediment by a river.
Explore more words
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.