English Reference
noun · verb

deposit

n. · v.
US /dəˈpɑzɪt/ UK /dɪpˈɒsɪt/ de·posit UK spelling deposited, deposits

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate Science

    n.a layer of a substance that has formed naturally or been left behind.

    n.an accumulation or layer of solid material, such as sediment or minerals, left by a natural process or chemical reaction.

    Simple

    The flood left a thick deposit of mud all over the fields.

    In context

    Geologists discovered a rich deposit of iron ore beneath the mountain range, suggesting the area was once volcanically active.

  2. 02 B1 Intermediate

    v.to put money into a bank account.

    v.to pay a sum of money into a financial account. Transitive — requires a direct object.

    Simple

    I need to go to the bank to deposit this cheque.

    In context

    The company deposits the employees' salaries directly into their personal accounts on the last working day of each month.

    pay inbanksave
  3. 03 B2 Upper Intermediate

    v.to leave something or put it down in a specific place.

    v.to set down or leave something in a particular place, often carefully or permanently.

    Simple

    The river deposits sand and stones along the banks as it slows down.

    In context

    The courier was instructed to deposit the sensitive documents in the secure locker located in the building's basement.

    removepick up

Apart from Farage and Count Binface, all of them lost their £500 deposits because they failed to receive more than 5% of the total valid votes cast.

BBC News· 14 Aug 2026

The civil servant from Cardiff used the money towards a house deposit earlier this year with her partner.

BBC News· 10 Aug 2026

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *de Proto-Italic *dē Latin dē Latin dē- Proto-Indo-European *h₂epó Proto-Indo-European *h₂pó Proto-Indo-European *teḱ-der. Proto-Indo-European *tḱey-der. Proto-Italic *sinō Proto-Italic *pozinō Old Latin *poznō Latin pōnō Latin dēpōnō Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Italic *-tos Latin -tus Latin deposituslbor. English deposit Learned borrowing from Latin depositus, past participle of depono (“put down”). Doublet of depot.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Common
Updated