The courts
deposition
Sworn out-of-court testimony taken by the opposing lawyer and recorded by a court reporter. The transcript can be used at trial to contradict a witness.
In full
A deposition puts a witness under oath outside the courtroom, with no judge present, and lets the questioning side probe the facts before trial. Answers bind: a witness who says something different at trial will be confronted with the transcript. Depositions of party representatives, and of an organization's designated witness, often decide how a case resolves.
Where to go next
Keep going
Browse every term in the glossary, or see the vocabulary in motion in the How government works walkthroughs.
A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.