deprive

verb

de·​prive di-ˈprīv How to pronounce deprive (audio)
deprived; depriving

transitive verb

1
: to take something away from
deprived him of his professorshipJ. 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 TowerEdith Sitwell
4
obsolete : remove
'tis honor to deprive dishonored lifeShakespeare

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Do Republicans have to admit the possibility that their wild and wacky primary elections could, yet again, deprive them of the upper chamber? Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 6 May 2025 On top of that, the Jane Does allege they were deprived them of meal and rest breaks, were paid less than minimum wage and never paid overtime or holidays, according to KTLA. Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 6 May 2025 But the dramatic equalizer was not enough to deprive Munich of yet another Bundesliga trophy. Jamie Barton, CNN Money, 4 May 2025 The twins soon discover, however, that the same segregated economy that deprives them of seed money means that their clientele cannot afford to pay for their products in cash. Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 2 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for deprive

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of deprive was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Deprive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deprive. Accessed 17 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

deprive

verb
de·​prive di-ˈprīv How to pronounce deprive (audio)
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 How to pronounce deprive (audio)
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 lawU.S. Constitution amend. V

More from Merriam-Webster on deprive

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!