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 their 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
At the time, Republicans did not back the plan and opponents argued the measure deprived people of due crisis and failed to address the needs of individuals in a crisis.
—Caroline Cummings, CBS News, 31 Mar. 2026
Contreras declined to address Eric’s friends — leading the judge to say the family deprived Eric’s friends the opportunity to attend the funeral and host a Mass in his honor.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 2026
If any Houthi attacks were to effectively block the strait, Xu told CNN, the Saudis would either start prioritizing crude shipments for nearby Europe —thus depriving Asia — or route oil tankers to Asia through the Suez Canal.
—Anna Cooban, CNN Money, 30 Mar. 2026
The 27-year-old's absence especially hurt on defense and deprived him time to build chemistry with star guard James Harden, whose acquisition at the trade deadline has raised title hopes.
—ABC News, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deprive
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Caroline Cummings, CBS News, 31 Mar. 2026
Contreras declined to address Eric’s friends — leading the judge to say the family deprived Eric’s friends the opportunity to attend the funeral and host a Mass in his honor.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 2026
If any Houthi attacks were to effectively block the strait, Xu told CNN, the Saudis would either start prioritizing crude shipments for nearby Europe —thus depriving Asia — or route oil tankers to Asia through the Suez Canal.
—Anna Cooban, CNN Money, 30 Mar. 2026
The 27-year-old's absence especially hurt on defense and deprived him time to build chemistry with star guard James Harden, whose acquisition at the trade deadline has raised title hopes.
—ABC News, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deprive
Cite this Entry
“Deprive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deprive. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
