deposition
UK[ˌdɛpəˈzɪʃ(ə)n]US[ˌdɛpəˈzɪʃ(ə)n]
n
the formal giving of testimony or evidence under oath, especially in a written statement before a trial.
n
the action of deposing someone from a position of power.
n
the process of laying down or accumulating matter by a natural process.
Morpheme Breakdown
de
posit
ion
de
down
posit
place
ion
noun suffix
Etymology
the word deposition originates from the latin verb 'deponere', meaning "to put down" or "to lay aside," which is a compound of 'de-' (down) and 'ponere' (to place). through old french, it entered middle english with the legal sense of "testimony," as evidence is "put down" in a formal record. the geological sense, referring to material laid down by water or wind, and the political sense, referring to the removal of a ruler from their "placed" position of authority, are both logical extensions of this core idea of putting something down.
Analysis
Structure: de (down) + posit (place) + ion (noun suffix)
de- (latin origin, a prefix meaning "down" or "away from"); posit (from latin 'ponere', 'positum', meaning "to place"); -ion (latin suffix forming nouns indicating an action or process).
Examples
the witness gave a deposition to the lawyers before the trial.
the deposition of the king led to a period of civil war.
the river delta was formed by the slow deposition of silt over centuries.