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
The alliance jointly fought the 2024 general election and deprived Modi of an outright majority, forcing him to rely on the support of regional parties to form a coalition government.
—Shilpa Jamkhandikar, USA Today, 4 May 2026
Given the start off Sunday afternoon, Tatis was able to relax and take in the Miggy-Manny home run show that contributed to the Padres’ 4-3, sweep-depriving win over the White Sox before the team’s 15th sellout crowd in 19 home dates.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 May 2026
The defense said Allen's presence on suicide precautions limits his ability to mount a defense and deprives him of his due process rights.
—Garrett Downs, CNBC, 3 May 2026
The science of acoustic fire suppression, which has long been known and documented in scientific literature and the press, works by vibrating oxygen molecules away from a fuel source, depriving the fire of a critical component needed for combustion.
—Cyrus Farivar, ArsTechnica, 2 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for deprive
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Shilpa Jamkhandikar, USA Today, 4 May 2026
Given the start off Sunday afternoon, Tatis was able to relax and take in the Miggy-Manny home run show that contributed to the Padres’ 4-3, sweep-depriving win over the White Sox before the team’s 15th sellout crowd in 19 home dates.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 May 2026
The defense said Allen's presence on suicide precautions limits his ability to mount a defense and deprives him of his due process rights.
—Garrett Downs, CNBC, 3 May 2026
The science of acoustic fire suppression, which has long been known and documented in scientific literature and the press, works by vibrating oxygen molecules away from a fuel source, depriving the fire of a critical component needed for combustion.
—Cyrus Farivar, ArsTechnica, 2 May 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 12 May. 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
