deprive

verb

de·​prive di-ˈprīv 

deprived; depriving

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 their 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 of deprive

• strip

Examples 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

However, further Houthi offensives have met stiffer resistance from the recuperated forces of the Presidential Leadership Council, depriving the group of another quick victory. — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 4 Oct. 2026

This deprived the treasurers of huge assets that otherwise could have been invested to generate billions of dollars for the pensions — a gap present-day taxpayers must fill. — Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 4 Oct. 2026

Kolchin also cited extensive wildfires that had deprived some bears of their habitat as a compounding effect. — Arina Porkhovnik, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2026

The question of how long Pike’s brain was deprived on oxygen will be central to her prognosis. — Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 2 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English depriven, from Anglo-French depriver, from Medieval Latin deprivare, from Latin de- + privare to deprive — more at private entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Phrases Containing deprive

• deprive of

Rhymes for deprive

• alive
• archive
• arrive
• beehive
• connive
• contrive
• derive
• khedive
• revive
• survive
• dive
• drive

Kids 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

ˌdep-rə-ˈvā-shən

noun

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

deprivation

ˌde-prə-ˈvā-shən, ˌdē-ˌprī- 

noun