Added 9 October 2026
deponent
/dɪˈpəʊnənt/ noun
In Latin: dēpōnēns Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about deponent at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- A person who testifies or gives a deposition.
Origin
From Latin dēpōnēns (“laying aside”), the present active participle of dēpōnō (“lay aside”), from dē- + pōnō (“put, place”). The name comes from the idea that such verbs were originally reflexive and then later "laid aside" their passive meanings.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)