deprive

verb

de·​prive di-ˈprīv 

deprived; depriving

transitive verb

1

: to take something away from

deprived him of his professorship

—J. M. Phalen

the risk of injury when the brain is deprived of oxygen

2

: to withhold something from

deprived a citizen of her rights

3

: to remove from office

the Archbishop … would be deprived and sent to the Tower

—Edith Sitwell

4

obsolete : remove

'tis honor to deprive dishonored life

—Shakespeare

Synonyms

• abate
• bereave
• divest
• strip

Examples of deprive in a Sentence

working those long hours was depriving him of his sleep

a prince who had been deprived after those who opposed the monarchy came to power

Recent Examples on the Web

But without light, the plant is critically deprived. —Corey Buhay, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Apr. 2024

We are primed to scold Doug for depriving his girlfriend of a creative outlet and the shoulders of strong female characters to cry on. —Jennifer Wilson, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024

That deprives kids of the resilience and emotional fortitude that comes from healthy risk-taking in real life. —Lisa Jarvis, Twin Cities, 30 Mar. 2024

Failure to detect it might deprive patients of an opportunity to get treated and to slow down disease progression. —Soeren Mattke, Discover Magazine, 28 Mar. 2024

The incident has deprived over 1,000 children of the right to an education, UNICEF said. —Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2024

In a March 19 filing to the NLRB, attorneys representing Star Garden argued that dancers have refused to perform lap dances, depriving the club of income. —Suhauna Hussain, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2024

The closure comes during prime cruising season, depriving waterfront businesses of tourist dollars. —Rachel Weiner, Washington Post, 26 Mar. 2024

In March, environmental activists set fire to infrastructure near that same factory, depriving Tesla of sufficient operation power and again causing a pause in production. —Lora Kolodny, NBC News, 2 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English depriven, from Anglo-French depriver, from Medieval Latin deprivare, from Latin de- + privare to deprive — more at private entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Phrases Containing deprive

• deprive of

Kids Definition

deprive

verb

de·​prive di-ˈprīv 

deprived; depriving

1

: to take something away from

deprive a ruler of power

2

: to stop from having something

deprived of sleep by street noises

deprivation

ˌdep-rə-ˈvā-shən

noun

Medical Definition

deprive

transitive verb

de·​prive di-ˈprīv 

deprived; depriving

: to take something away from and especially something that is usually considered essential for mental or physical well-being

a child deprived of emotional support

tissue deprived of oxygen

Legal Definition

deprive

transitive verb

de·​prive

deprived; depriving

: to take away or withhold something from

no person shall…be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law

—U.S. Constitution amend. V

deprivation

ˌde-prə-ˈvā-shən, ˌdē-ˌprī- 

noun