deprive

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verb de·prive \ di-ˈprīv \

Definition of deprive

deprived; depriving

transitive verb

1 obsolete :remove

'tis honor to deprive dishonored life
—Shakespeare

2 :to take something away from

deprived him of his professorship
—J. M. Phalen

the risk of injury when the brain is deprived of oxygen

3 :to remove from office

the Archbishop … would be deprived and sent to the Tower
—Edith Sitwell

4 :to withhold something from

deprived a citizen of her rights

See deprive defined for English-language learners

See deprive defined for kids

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 of deprive from the Web

The investigation showed that by allowing Elcan to use the names, access numbers and passwords of other CCM employees, Elcan and CCM were deceptive in depriving T.D. Ameritrade the ability to enforce the ban against Elcan.

— john sharp, AL.com, "Mobile investment firm barred from selling securities in Tennessee because of 'deceptive' business," 15 July 2017
Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn’s anti-austerity message attracted young voters in droves at last month’s general election, depriving May of her parliamentary majority.

— alex morales, Bloomberg.com, "These Charts Show Why Brits Are Furious About Austerity," 5 July 2017
The Supreme Court has held since the 1970s that depriving prisoners of medical treatment violates the Eighth Amendment.

— matt ford, The Atlantic, "A Mental-Health Crisis in Alabama’s Prisons," 1 July 2017
The Syrian government stopped paying teacher and other government salaries several months ago, depriving many residents of the ability to buy what limited food is available.

— michael r. gordon, New York Times, "In a Desperate Syrian City, a Test of Trump’s Policies," 1 July 2017
Trumka told reporters on a conference call Wednesday that the bill would deprive millions of working people of health insurance.

— Fox News, "Senate Republicans told to strike a health care deal by Friday," 28 June 2017
Johnson being removed from the Democratic caucus would deprive him of using the group's resources, including research and communications services.

— tessa weinberg and phillip m. bailey, The Courier-Journal, "Dan Johnson angry about leaks. At least that's what a leaked email tells us," 26 June 2017
Depriving 22 million Americans of health insurance—and as a result, risking their lives—for the sake of overturning Obama-era legislation or saving the government $321 billion (as the BCRA will reportedly do by 2026) is despicable.

— lindsey lanquist, SELF, "The BCRA Will Cause 22 Million Americans to Lose Insurance in 10 Years," 26 June 2017
Waterlogged soil deprives roots of oxygen, reducing the ability of trees or shrubs to take up and provide necessary nutrients.

— jo ellen meyers sharp, Indianapolis Star, "Rain causes waterlogged soil," 24 June 2017

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.

Origin and Etymology of deprive

Middle English depriven, from Anglo-French depriver, from Medieval Latin deprivare, from Latin de- + privare to deprive — more at private

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First Known Use: 14th century

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deprive Synonyms

Synonyms

abate, bereave, divest, strip

Antonyms

crown, enthrone, throne

Related Words

denude; cheat, clean (out), defraud, shortchange; bankrupt, disfurnish, impoverish

Near Antonyms

baptize, inaugurate, induct, initiate, install, instate, invest; appoint, designate, elect

DEPRIVE Defined for Kids

deprive

play

verb de·prive \ di-ˈprīv \

Definition of deprive for Students

deprived; depriving

:to take something away from or keep from having something

Mr. Sir was no longer depriving him of water.
—Louis Sachar, Holes

Medical Dictionary

deprive

play

transitive verb de·prive \ di-ˈprīv \

medical Definition of deprive

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

Law Dictionary

deprive

transitive verb de·prive

legal Definition of deprive

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

—

deprivation

play \ˌde-prə-ˈvā-shən, ˌdē-ˌprī-\ noun

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deprive

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Examples of deprive in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of deprive

deprive Synonyms

Synonyms

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DEPRIVE Defined for Kids

deprive

Definition of deprive for Students

Medical Dictionary

deprive

medical Definition of deprive

Law Dictionary

deprive

legal Definition of deprive

deprivation

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