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
And abruptly halting the distribution of vaccines with thimerosal now would mean depriving people of protection against a whole host of dangerous illnesses.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 21 May 2026
The waivers have been controversial, especially with European allies who see sanctions as essential to starving Russia of crude revenue and depriving Moscow funding for its war in Ukraine.
—Jennifer A. Dlouhy, Fortune, 16 May 2026
This scenario deprives producers, sales agents, and distributors of global monetization opportunities across all types of films, while frustrating audiences who discover these titles but can’t watch them.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 16 May 2026
To consider the challenge to the new districts in a way that’s fair to voters, courts will have to consider whether DeSantis acted in a way that deprives them of their right to choose their own members of Congress.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for deprive
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Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 21 May 2026
The waivers have been controversial, especially with European allies who see sanctions as essential to starving Russia of crude revenue and depriving Moscow funding for its war in Ukraine.
—Jennifer A. Dlouhy, Fortune, 16 May 2026
This scenario deprives producers, sales agents, and distributors of global monetization opportunities across all types of films, while frustrating audiences who discover these titles but can’t watch them.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 16 May 2026
To consider the challenge to the new districts in a way that’s fair to voters, courts will have to consider whether DeSantis acted in a way that deprives them of their right to choose their own members of Congress.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 May 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 23 May. 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
