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
Bender also was excluded from these teams, which deprived her of the opportunity to inherit assets and boost her career or retirement benefits, according to the suit.
—Chase Jordan, Charlotte Observer, 24 Apr. 2025
This blockage deprives brain tissue of vital oxygen and nutrients, which causes brain cells to die within minutes.
—Daryl Austin, USA Today, 24 Apr. 2025
Interruption of the blood flow deprives the affected parts of the brain from receiving oxygen and other nutrients, with the result that these tissues start disintegrating rapidly.
—Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2025
The abuse of tariffs by the United States is tantamount to depriving countries, especially those in the Global South, of their right to development.
—John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deprive
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Chase Jordan, Charlotte Observer, 24 Apr. 2025
This blockage deprives brain tissue of vital oxygen and nutrients, which causes brain cells to die within minutes.
—Daryl Austin, USA Today, 24 Apr. 2025
Interruption of the blood flow deprives the affected parts of the brain from receiving oxygen and other nutrients, with the result that these tissues start disintegrating rapidly.
—Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2025
The abuse of tariffs by the United States is tantamount to depriving countries, especially those in the Global South, of their right to development.
—John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 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 3 May. 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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