privation

noun

pri·​va·​tion prī-ˈvā-shən 

1

: an act or instance of depriving : deprivation

2

: the state of being deprived

especially : lack of what is needed for existence

Synonyms of privation

• deprivation
• lack

Examples of privation in a Sentence

The country has suffered through long periods of economic privation.

the constant privation of sleep was starting to affect my work

Recent Examples on the Web

Still, the mesh grids spreading across Haiti's countryside prove that the country's energy story may transcend the privation. — Ken Silverstein, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026

Even the smallest diversions seem to make a difference, a testament to the monkeys’ loneliness and privation. — Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025

These are people who still carry within them memories of war, occupation, and stretches of extreme privation. — Thomas Chatterton Williams, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026

Diaries kept by Eugenia Zieber describe the privations of the trail, chief among them the frequent deaths of fellow travelers. — Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English privacion, from Anglo-French, from Latin privation-, privatio, from privare to deprive

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for privation

• ablation
• aeration
• bination
• carnation
• cassation
• castration
• causation
• centration
• cessation
• cetacean
• chelation
• citation

Kids Definition

privation

noun

pri·​va·​tion prī-ˈvā-shən 

: the state of being deprived