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 her 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
Effective budgeting and saving do not mean depriving yourself.
—True Tamplin, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
The collateral damage caused by that saga has affected Newcastle’s early-season performances, depriving them of a senior centre-forward for the opening three games and generally generating toxicity.
—James McNicholas, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
As in pneumonia, the blood pressure drop deprives vital organs of oxygen.
—Michal Ruprecht, NPR, 8 Sep. 2025
Israel has tried to squeeze out the residents by depriving the area of humanitarian aid and destroying much of its remaining infrastructure, but many remain.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deprive
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True Tamplin, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
The collateral damage caused by that saga has affected Newcastle’s early-season performances, depriving them of a senior centre-forward for the opening three games and generally generating toxicity.
—James McNicholas, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
As in pneumonia, the blood pressure drop deprives vital organs of oxygen.
—Michal Ruprecht, NPR, 8 Sep. 2025
Israel has tried to squeeze out the residents by depriving the area of humanitarian aid and destroying much of its remaining infrastructure, but many remain.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deprive
Cite this Entry
“Deprive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deprive. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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?
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