A deposition is a legal process where a witness, typically under oath, provides testimony and answers questions asked by attorneys outside of a courtroom setting. The testimony is usually recorded by a court reporter and can be used as evidence in a trial or other legal proceedings.

Depositions can be conducted for various reasons, such as to gather information for a case, to preserve testimony in case the witness is unavailable for trial, or to impeach the credibility of a witness. They are often used in civil litigation, but may also be used in criminal cases.

During a deposition, the witness is typically questioned by both the attorney representing the party who requested the deposition (known as the “deposing party”) and the attorney representing the opposing party. The witness must answer the questions truthfully and to the best of their ability.

In some jurisdictions, depositions may also be taken for non-legal purposes, such as to preserve the testimony of a witness who is expected to die soon.