deprivation

noun

dep·​ri·​va·​tion ˌde-prə-ˈvā-shən 

also

ˌdē-ˌprī- 

1

: the state of being kept from possessing, enjoying, or using something : the state of being deprived : privation

especially : removal from an office, dignity, or benefice

2

: an act or instance of withholding or taking something away from someone or something : an act or instance of depriving : loss

overcoming the deprivations of their childhoods

the hazards of oxygen deprivation

Synonyms

• loss
• privation

Examples of deprivation in a Sentence

She is studying the effects of sleep deprivation.

She eventually overcame the deprivations of her childhood.

Recent Examples on the Web

Some of the greatest crime hot spots are in places on the periphery between areas of affluence and areas of deprivation. —Saima S. Iqbal, Scientific American, 24 Oct. 2024

While The Road confronts us with the bleakness of planetary destruction, the sensory deprivation chamber in which Harpman holds her characters (and, therefore, readers) leaves no choice but to travel deep into our bodies. —Hazlitt, 23 Oct. 2024

The Foundation, which is celebrating its three-year anniversary, is the first international charitable arm of the National Football League (NFL) and targets areas of the U.K. with high levels of deprivation and low levels of physical activity. —Simon Perry, People.com, 15 Oct. 2024

In the Breonna Taylor case, Hankison was charged in a two-count indictment for deprivation of rights under color of law, both of which are civil rights offenses, in August 2022. —Tesfaye Negussie, ABC News, 11 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

see deprive

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing deprivation

• androgen deprivation therapy
• self-deprivation

Medical Definition

deprivation

noun

de·​pri·​va·​tion ˌdep-rə-ˈvā-shən  ˌdē-ˌprī- 

: the act or process of removing or the condition resulting from removal of something normally present and usually essential for mental or physical well-being

his nervous system may have been affected by early oxygen deprivation

—Jack Fincher

sleep deprivation