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 Swift is performing six concerts through March 9 in Singapore, and some Southeast Asian neighbors complain that the Singapore deal deprives them of the tourism boom her concerts bring to hosts. Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 6 Mar. 2024 In the first indictment, a grand jury charged the ex-cop with depriving the civil rights of two women by raping them on six occasions between 1998 and 2002. Bill Lukitsch, Kansas City Star, 1 Mar. 2024 Against notrump, the defense can prevail in two ways: by setting up a long suit or by depriving declarer of a source of tricks. Frank Stewart, The Mercury News, 1 Mar. 2024 Tech industry and digital rights groups have argued that in addition to depriving children of positive online resources, the measures slyly force companies to collect vast reams of data to comply with their age vetting requirements. Cristiano Lima-Strong, Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2024 Over the past year, several institutions such as the Green Bay Correctional Institution and Waupun Correctional Institution have been under unending lockdowns, limiting the movements of those incarcerated, depriving them of recreational time and requiring them to take meals inside their cells. Journal Sentinel, 1 Mar. 2024 Bleaching occurs when stressed coral ejects algae from within its tissue, depriving it of a food source. Helen Regan, CNN, 28 Feb. 2024 On May 24, 2023, Makos was sentenced to two years and six months in prison on a charge of conspiring with others to deprive inmates of their right not to be subjected to cruel and unusual punishment, the attorney’s office said in a news release issued that day. Julia Marnin, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2024 Foreign sanctions have deprived the air force of some of the electronic components the A-100’s systems require. David Axe, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'deprive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near deprive

Cite this Entry

“Deprive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deprive. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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

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