deprive

verb

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de·prive | \ di-ˈprīv

deprived; depriving

Definition of deprive

transitive verb

1 : to take something away from deprived him of his professorship— J. 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 Tower— Edith Sitwell

4 obsolete : remove 'tis honor to deprive dishonored life— Shakespeare

Synonyms More Example Sentences Phrases Containing deprive Learn More About deprive

Examples of deprive in a Sentence

working those long hours was depriving him of his sleep one of scores of bishops who had been deprived after the anticlericals came to power

Recent Examples on the Web There was a third partner in the business, Lee Eickmeyer, a Washington state farmer, who put in a nearly million-dollar investment and later claimed, in court documents, that he was taken advantage of in a conspiracy to deprive him of his money. — Joe Rubin, The New Republic, 21 July 2022 The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which is trying to organize drivers in California, says trucking companies have misclassified drivers as independent contractors to deprive them of fair wages and benefits. — Paul Berger, WSJ, 21 July 2022 That eliminates the risk that their movies will collapse at the box office, which would theoretically deprive them of all those bonuses. — Brent Lang, Variety, 21 July 2022 The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which aims to organize drivers in California, says trucking companies have misclassified drivers as independent contractors to deprive them of fair wages and benefits. — Paul Berger, WSJ, 13 July 2022 Authorities discovered that the children had been subjected to torture and abuse by their parents, who would deprive them of food, sleep, hygiene and healthcare. — Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2022 The complete capture of Mariupol would deprive Ukraine of a vital port, allow Russia to complete a land corridor to the Crimean Peninsula, and free troops up for fighting elsewhere in the Donbas. — Elena Becatoros And Jon Gambrell, Chicago Tribune, 9 May 2022 The fall of Mariupol would deprive Ukraine of a vital port. — Democrat-gazette Staff From Wire Reports, Arkansas Online, 7 May 2022 In it, Oliver asks why people deprive themselves of pleasure, telling us instead to look to nature to free ourselves from piety: Our bad! — Annie Lord, Vogue, 24 Apr. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'deprive.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

30 Jul 2022

Cite this Entry

“Deprive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deprive. Accessed 10 Aug. 2022.

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More Definitions for deprive

deprive

verb

de·prive | \ di-ˈprīv

deprived; depriving

Kids Definition of deprive

: to take something away from or keep from having something Mr. Sir was no longer depriving him of water.— Louis Sachar, Holes

deprive

transitive verb

de·prive | \ di-ˈprīv

deprived; depriving

Medical Definition of deprive

: 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

deprive

transitive verb

de·prive

deprived; depriving

Legal Definition of deprive

: 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