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
Dylan Miller, 30, was convicted by a federal jury in December of depriving a victim of civil rights while acting under color of law.
—Austen Erblat, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
The fall of Assad in December 2024 deprived Russia of its one reliable ally in the region.
—Jeffrey Taliaferro, The Conversation, 11 Apr. 2026
The judge ruled that at this early stage in the case, Day made a viable claim that Evans had planned to permanently deprive her of the money.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 9 Apr. 2026
Bondi cut off the American Bar Association’s access to judicial nominees for the first time in 72 years, depriving the Senate of an independent opinion on their qualifications.
—Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deprive
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Austen Erblat, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
The fall of Assad in December 2024 deprived Russia of its one reliable ally in the region.
—Jeffrey Taliaferro, The Conversation, 11 Apr. 2026
The judge ruled that at this early stage in the case, Day made a viable claim that Evans had planned to permanently deprive her of the money.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 9 Apr. 2026
Bondi cut off the American Bar Association’s access to judicial nominees for the first time in 72 years, depriving the Senate of an independent opinion on their qualifications.
—Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Apr. 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 15 Apr. 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
