deprived; depriving
1
: to take something away from
deprived him of his professorship—
J. M. Phalen
J. M. Phalenthe 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
Edith Sitwell4
obsolete
: remove
'tis honor to deprive dishonored life—Shakespeare
Shakespeare
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
The purpose of the pardon is to be used as a check against the other coequal branches of government to protect people from being unfairly punished or having their rights otherwise deprived without due process.
—Samuel Chambers, Orlando Sentinel, 29 Jan. 2025
Texas passed a law in 2023 requiring public universities to close their diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, offices, depriving the most vulnerable student communities of resources such as scholarships, mental health programs and career workshops.
—Katie Scofield, The Conversation, 27 Jan. 2025
Some parts of the city’s huge center, especially those near St. Andrew’s, appear increasingly deprived.
—Hannah Ryan, CNN, 23 Jan. 2025
Opponents have argued that the bill deprives the accused of due process.
—Ian Crouch, The New Yorker, 23 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for deprive 
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Samuel Chambers, Orlando Sentinel, 29 Jan. 2025
Texas passed a law in 2023 requiring public universities to close their diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, offices, depriving the most vulnerable student communities of resources such as scholarships, mental health programs and career workshops.
—Katie Scofield, The Conversation, 27 Jan. 2025
Some parts of the city’s huge center, especially those near St. Andrew’s, appear increasingly deprived.
—Hannah Ryan, CNN, 23 Jan. 2025
Opponents have argued that the bill deprives the accused of due process.
—Ian Crouch, The New Yorker, 23 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for deprive
Articles Related to deprive
Dictionary Entries Near deprive
Cite this Entry
“Deprive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deprive. Accessed 5 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
noun
ˌdep-rə-ˈvā-shən
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
U.S. Constitution amend. VLove words? Need even more definitions?
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