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Synonyms

deprive

American

[dih-prahyv] / dɪˈpraɪv /

verb (used with object)

to remove or withhold something from the enjoyment or possession of (a person or persons).

to deprive a man of life; to deprive a baby of candy.
to remove from ecclesiastical office.

deprive British

/ dɪˈpraɪv /

verb

(foll by of) to prevent from possessing or enjoying; dispossess (of)
archaic to remove from rank or office; depose; demote

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Synonym Usage

See strip ¹.

Other Word Forms

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Inflected Forms

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Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

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Etymology

Origin of deprive

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English depriven, from Anglo-French, Old French depriver, from Medieval Latin dēprīvāre, equivalent to Latin dē- de- + prīvāre “to deprive” ( prīv(us) private + -āre infinitive suffix)

Explanation

Deprive means to keep from having. If your little brother gets loud and hyper every time he eats sweets, your parents might deprive him of sugary cereal and candy. Deprive can also mean to take away something that someone already had, or feels they deserve to have, like basic human rights. "A crowd gathered to protest the man's imprisonment for a crime he did not commit; they didn't want to allow the government to deprive him of his freedom." The word comes from the Latin, de", which means "entirely," and privare, which means "release from." Put together, they mean to "entirely release from." In this case, the imprisoned man's freedom is being "entirely released," or taken away, and he'll no longer have it.

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Vocabulary lists containing deprive

The Declaration of Independence

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

If we only define people with dementia based on their deficits, we become demoralized and give in to pessimistic attitudes that inevitably deprive them of dignity and hope.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 20, 2026

A proud moment for those associated with the club, but it did deprive key players of the mid-season breather they normally would have had.

From BBC • May 22, 2026

And if we deprive gay guys of their annual chance to make Mother’s Day about their personal taste in actresses, God help us all.

From Salon • May 10, 2026

“These conditions are excessive restrictions on his liberty that serve no justifiable purpose and deprive Mr. Allen of dignity while incarcerated.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 3, 2026

As he had been thinking for months about leaving his wife and had not done it because it would be too cruel to deprive her of himself, her departure was a very healthful shock.

From "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023