privation

noun

pri·​va·​tion prī-ˈvā-shən 

1

: an act or instance of depriving : deprivation

2

: the state of being deprived

especially : lack of what is needed for existence

Synonyms

• deprivation
• loss

Examples of privation in a Sentence

The country has suffered through long periods of economic privation.

the constant privation of sleep was starting to affect my work

Recent Examples on the Web

Out of the privation, the challenge, and the censure of slavery and the unfulfilled promise of post-Reconstruction justice, Black musicians embraced experimentation and innovation, ingenuity and joy, and a multigenerational call and response speaking truth to power that endures to the present day. —Elizabeth Alexander, Time, 1 Apr. 2025

As a prisoner of war, Morris R. Wills faced a gamut of privations—he was left malnourished and consigned to filthy conditions amid the ever-present threat of execution. —Nikhil Krishnan, New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2025

Economic privation could further encourage violent competition between Syrian armed groups over territory and revenues. —Sam Heller, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2024

But envisioning the privation that followed, with Panguna shut down, requires little imagination. —Sean Williams, Harper's Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English privacion, from Anglo-French, from Latin privation-, privatio, from privare to deprive

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for privation

• ablation
• bination
• carnation
• cassation
• castration
• causation
• centration
• cessation
• cetacean
• chelation
• citation
• collation

Kids Definition

privation

noun

pri·​va·​tion prī-ˈvā-shən 

: the state of being deprived