as in deprivation
the state of being robbed of something normally enjoyed
the constant privation of sleep was starting to affect my work
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Recent Examples of privation
Since 2022, Russia repeatedly urged China to act quickly to save its economy from inevitable privations stemming from the collapse of its Western market.
—
Ariel Cohen, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
At first, the complaints from workers who'd escaped -- detailing forced labor, privation and torture -- had seemed extraordinary to Rezende.
—Terrence McCoy The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 31 Aug. 2025
In light of the extraordinary privations and mass killing of Gaza’s civilian population in the current war, Hamas’s external leader, Khaled Meshaal, has likened Gaza to Algeria, where independence was achieved only after the death of more than a million civilians.
—Leila Seurat, Foreign Affairs, 26 Aug. 2025
Laos, like almost all the countries in what was once Indochina—the fecund area of Southeast Asia controlled (minus Thailand) by the British or French for much of the 19th and early 20th centuries—has endured terrible privations and suffered a particularly brutal recent history.
—Hanya Yanagihara, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Nov. 2018
See All Example Sentences for privation
Ariel Cohen, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
At first, the complaints from workers who'd escaped -- detailing forced labor, privation and torture -- had seemed extraordinary to Rezende.
—Terrence McCoy The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 31 Aug. 2025
In light of the extraordinary privations and mass killing of Gaza’s civilian population in the current war, Hamas’s external leader, Khaled Meshaal, has likened Gaza to Algeria, where independence was achieved only after the death of more than a million civilians.
—Leila Seurat, Foreign Affairs, 26 Aug. 2025
Laos, like almost all the countries in what was once Indochina—the fecund area of Southeast Asia controlled (minus Thailand) by the British or French for much of the 19th and early 20th centuries—has endured terrible privations and suffered a particularly brutal recent history.
—Hanya Yanagihara, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Nov. 2018
See All Example Sentences for privation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for privation
Noun
-
The lesson is not deprivation but discipline.—
Irfan Sarwar,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Modern French wellness is about moderation, not deprivation.—
Hannah Seligson,
Vanity Fair,
12 Feb. 2026
Noun
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From an outside lens, Norway’s lack of hockey success doesn’t make much sense, especially considering its status in other winter sports.—
Peter Baugh,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2026
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Visits to the shrine are seen by Japan's neighbors as evidence of a lack of remorse for Japan's wartime past.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Privation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/privation. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.
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