Deponent: meaning, definitions and examples

This term is often used in legal contexts where a person provides a sworn, written statement before a court or during a deposition.

• The deponent affirmed that the statements in the affidavit were true to the best of their knowledge.
• During the deposition, the deponent answered all questions posed by the attorneys.

Affiant is commonly used in legal documents to describe a person who swears to an affidavit—a written statement confirmed by oath or affirmation, typically used as evidence in court.

• The affiant declared that she had personally witnessed the event.
• As the affiant, he needed to ensure all statements in the document were accurate.

Declarant is used to refer to someone making a formal declaration or statement, not necessarily under oath. This term is broader and can be used in non-legal settings.

• The declarant stated their intention to donate the property in writing.
• In the will, the declarant expressed their final wishes regarding their estate.

Use in grammatical discussions, particularly in the context of Latin or Greek languages, where a verb is passive in form but active in meaning.

• In Latin, 'loquor' is a deponent verb meaning 'I speak'.
• The professor explained how deponent verbs function in ancient texts.