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
Through this scheme, the defendants defrauded betting platforms, deprived Major League Baseball and the Cleveland Guardians of their honest services, illegally enriched themselves and their co-conspirators, misled the public and betrayed America’s past time.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 12 Nov. 2025
Jens snorts angrily; the frost has deprived him of his virility and transformed him into a helpless old man.
—Literary Hub, 10 Nov. 2025
The group also argued that moving people into federal immigration custody while local criminal cases are ongoing disrupts the legal process, potentially depriving victims of justice and defendants the opportunity to defend against charges.
—Laura Schulte, jsonline.com, 7 Nov. 2025
But the Court held that Scott was property and the Constitution does not allow the government to deprive a citizen of property without due process of law.
—Equal Justice Initiative, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deprive
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Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 12 Nov. 2025
Jens snorts angrily; the frost has deprived him of his virility and transformed him into a helpless old man.
—Literary Hub, 10 Nov. 2025
The group also argued that moving people into federal immigration custody while local criminal cases are ongoing disrupts the legal process, potentially depriving victims of justice and defendants the opportunity to defend against charges.
—Laura Schulte, jsonline.com, 7 Nov. 2025
But the Court held that Scott was property and the Constitution does not allow the government to deprive a citizen of property without due process of law.
—Equal Justice Initiative, USA Today, 6 Nov. 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 17 Nov. 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?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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