depose

IPA/dɪˈpəʊz/
KK[dɪpˈoz]IPA/dɪˈpəʊz/

depose — verb

  • deposepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • deposeshe / she / it
  • deposedpast simple
  • deposing-ing form

1. to make a king, president, or other leader lose official power and stop holding

1.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to make a king, president, or other leader lose official power and stop holding the highest position

Example

Parliament deposed the king after soldiers refused to obey him.

depose + ruler in a political crisis

The general tried to depose the president during a late-night radio speech.

depose + political leader

Common collocations
  • depose a king
  • depose the president
  • be deposed in a coup
  • depose a ruler
Synonyms
  • oust

    broader and can also be used for businesses or rivals, not only rulers

  • dethrone

    specifically used for kings and queens

  • overthrow

    stresses bringing down a government or system, often by force

  • impeach

    focuses on the formal legal or political process, not the final removal itself

Antonyms
  • install

    to place someone in a position of power or office

  • reinstate

    to give a removed leader or official the position back

Grammar Patterns

depose + ruler/leader

be deposed

Usage Note

Usually used for rulers, presidents, or other people at the top of a power structure. It is more formal and political than everyday words like 'remove', and the passive form is common when the focus is on the leader who lost power.

Common Mistakes

The school deposed the old desks during the holiday.
The school removed the old desks during the holiday.
'depose' is used for powerful people, not ordinary objects.
Ella deposed her cousin from the dinner table.
Ella made her cousin leave the dinner table.
'depose' is about taking away official power, not moving someone from a normal place.

2. in legal English, to state something formally after swearing it is true, or to q

2.verbtransitive / intransitiveC2
Definition

in legal English, to state something formally after swearing it is true, or to question someone so that this sworn statement can be recorded

Example

During the hearing, Nora deposed that the signature was not hers.

depose + that-clause in legal testimony

The attorney will depose two engineers before the safety case reaches court.

depose + person for formal questioning

Common collocations
  • depose that a claim is false
  • depose a witness
  • be deposed by counsel
  • depose under oath
Synonyms
  • testify

    the normal modern legal verb for giving evidence under oath

  • attest

    formal and focused on declaring that something is true

  • question

    much broader and does not itself imply an oath or official record

Grammar Patterns

depose that + clause

depose + witness/person

be deposed

depose under oath

Usage Note

Used mainly in legal procedure. It can describe either making a sworn statement yourself or formally questioning another person to record that statement.

Common Mistakes

Mira deposed her opinion in the meeting notes.
Mira stated her opinion in the meeting notes.
this legal sense is used for sworn statements, not ordinary comments.
The coach deposed the striker before Saturday's match.
The coach questioned the striker before Saturday's match.
outside legal settings, 'depose' is not the normal word for asking questions.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

Depose is a formal word for removing a ruler, president, or other top leader from power. Oust is broader and can be used for mayors, managers, companies, or sports leaders, so it sounds less tied to kings or heads of state. Dethrone is narrower than depose because it is mainly used for kings and queens. Overthrow often points to a government or political system being brought down, often by force, while depose keeps the focus on the leader who loses office. Impeach is different again: it names the formal accusation process, and a leader can be impeached without actually being removed. A parliament may depose a king, a board may oust a director, and a congress may impeach a president.

depose ↗oust ↗dethroneoverthrow ↗impeach

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Depose comes from Latin deponere, meaning 'to put down'. Through French and later English legal writing, it developed two linked ideas: putting a ruler down from power, and setting down a sworn statement as part of a legal process.

First known use

14th century

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1