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

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
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
Still, their stand against the bill does endanger its passage, as pushing it too far to the right could alienate GOP moderates who take issue with depriving millions of their health coverage.

— margaret hartmann, Daily Intelligencer, "Senate’s Trumpcare Bill Still Disliked by Pretty Much Everyone", 23 June 2017
Closed-door meetings conducted by the San Diego County Water Authority deprive the public of its right to monitor the agency and must be opened up to ratepayers and others, according to a lawsuit filed Monday in San Diego County Superior Court.

— james dehaven, sandiegouniontribune.com, "County water panel sued over closed-door meetings", 15 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

See Words from the same year

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