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.
In their minds, apparently, the only way to grow athletes as productive citizens is to deprive them of the money trough from which the universities and coaches have long been feeding. Chris Dorsey, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025 Moscow is slowly taking territory at the cost of high casualties along the 600-mile (1,000-kilometer) front line in eastern Ukraine and launching intense barrages at Ukraine’s energy system, seeking to deprive Ukrainians of heat and light in the depths of winter. Fox News, 16 Jan. 2025 Moscow is slowly taking territory at the cost of high casualties along the 600-mile front line in eastern Ukraine and launching intense barrages at Ukraine’s energy system, seeking to deprive its people of heat and light in the depths of winter. Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2025 As a result, ProPublica found that annual assessments detailing wards’ finances and care can take years to complete, depriving judges of critical information about people’s welfare. Jake Pearson, ProPublica, 15 Jan. 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

Dictionary Entries Near deprive

Cite this Entry

“Deprive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deprive. Accessed 28 Jan. 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

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