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
Scientists had long known that depriving mice of vitamin A caused infertility; the challenge was finding a safe, targeted way of inhibiting it.
—Ana Castelain, Bloomberg, 28 Jan. 2026
Some Head Start programs were forced to close during the last shutdown, depriving families of critical child care.
—Garrett Downs, CNBC, 27 Jan. 2026
Seventy-five years ago, hundreds of millions of children were excluded from formal schooling, not only depriving them of their right to education but also standing in the way of global development.
—Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
Homeland Security Secretary said all three were being charged with conspiracy to deprive rights.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deprive
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Ana Castelain, Bloomberg, 28 Jan. 2026
Some Head Start programs were forced to close during the last shutdown, depriving families of critical child care.
—Garrett Downs, CNBC, 27 Jan. 2026
Seventy-five years ago, hundreds of millions of children were excluded from formal schooling, not only depriving them of their right to education but also standing in the way of global development.
—Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
Homeland Security Secretary said all three were being charged with conspiracy to deprive rights.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 23 Jan. 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 28 Jan. 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
