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

Critics say the soaring costs are depriving the city of money for pressing needs such as fixing roads and sidewalks. — Sean Greene, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026

Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote in the high court's 7-2 decision in 2019 that the removal of Black prospective jurors deprived Flowers of a fair trial. — ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026

Questioning MacArthur on the wisdom of depriving his troops of reading material was the opposite of hero worship. — Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026

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

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