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
ShakespeareExamples 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
Over the course of several weeks in June and July, CNN followed a group of Palestinian women facing an awful choice between risking their own lives, which could deprive their families of their only remaining provider, or watching their children starve.
—Sarah El Sirgany, CNN Money, 30 July 2025
Not only negligence, but accident or fraud, fire or theft, might deprive an individual of his office.
—Liz Tracey, JSTOR Daily, 29 July 2025
The loss of closer Emmanuel Clase to non-disciplinary leave as part of a Major League Baseball investigation into sports betting did not simply deprive the Cleveland Guardians of their top trade chip.
—Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 29 July 2025
The athletes are challenging the school’s decision in May to cut its women’s beach volleyball, bowling and golf teams, as well as its men’s golf program, arguing the decision continues SFA’s history of depriving women equal opportunities to participate in varsity intercollegiate athletics.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 27 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for deprive
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show current usage.
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Sarah El Sirgany, CNN Money, 30 July 2025
Not only negligence, but accident or fraud, fire or theft, might deprive an individual of his office.
—Liz Tracey, JSTOR Daily, 29 July 2025
The loss of closer Emmanuel Clase to non-disciplinary leave as part of a Major League Baseball investigation into sports betting did not simply deprive the Cleveland Guardians of their top trade chip.
—Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 29 July 2025
The athletes are challenging the school’s decision in May to cut its women’s beach volleyball, bowling and golf teams, as well as its men’s golf program, arguing the decision continues SFA’s history of depriving women equal opportunities to participate in varsity intercollegiate athletics.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 27 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for deprive
Cite this Entry
“Deprive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deprive. Accessed 4 Aug. 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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