deprivation

American  

[dep-ruh-vay-shuhn] / ˌdɛp rəˈveɪ ʃən /

noun

• deprivations
  plural

1. the act of depriving.

2. the fact of being deprived.

3. dispossession; loss.

4. removal from ecclesiastical office.

5. privation.

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deprivation British  

/ ˌdɛprɪˈveɪʃən /

noun

1. an act or instance of depriving

2. the state of being deprived

   social deprivation

   a cycle of deprivation and violence

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nondeprivation
  noun
• predeprivation
  noun
• self-deprivation
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• deprivations
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of deprivation

First recorded in 1525–35; from Medieval Latin dēprīvātiōn-, stem of dēprīvātiō, from dēprīvāt(us) “deprived” (past participle of dēprīvāre “to deprive”; see deprive) + -iō -ion

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Explanation

A state of deprivation means something is missing, and the situation is serious. If you're suffering from sleep deprivation, you haven't slept in a long time. If you know the word deprive — meaning to keep something away from someone — then you’re close to knowing what deprivation means. It describes the state of not having something. Poor people experience a lot of deprivation: poverty keeps them from having enough food or shelter. Plants experiencing water deprivation will shrivel up and die. If you’re grounded your parents might impose video game deprivation, although this word is usually reserved for when you’re lacking something really serious.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

deprivation deprivations

"Japan is often described as a country suffering from sleep deprivation, and people here are very diligent," Riichiro Nakama, creative director at organiser Koala Sleep Japan, the mattress company.

From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026

Earning a strong salary from one country while temporarily living somewhere with dramatically lower expenses can create a powerful financial advantage without requiring the deprivation normally associated with aggressive saving.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026

Federal prosecutors in Minnesota had been preparing to charge Castro with deprivation of rights under color of law for the shooting of Sosa-Celis, according to several people familiar with the case.

From Salon ● Sep. 4, 2026

Underlying stress about the attacks and the winter ahead has lately prompted bouts of insomnia until 4 a.m., while sleep deprivation has made work more difficult for her this summer.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026

These experiences are not part of a sustainable lifestyle, even a lifestyle of chronic deprivation and relentless low-level punishment.

From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich

Add personal privacy to the list of deprivations that now come with public life.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

He added, “These deprivations, while grievous, do not infringe upon any deeply rooted constitutional right.”

From Salon ● Sep. 12, 2026

Here, try it out with me: The prohibition on deprivations of “liberty” without “due process of law”? In the Constitution.

From Slate ● Jul. 20, 2026

"When hazards overlap or strike repeatedly, they compound existing deprivations."

From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2025

He saw them scold and hurt each other; he saw them lament over pains at which the Samana laughs, and suffer at deprivations which a Samana does not feel.

From "Siddhartha" by Hermann Hesse

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Related Words

• destitution
• hardship
• privation

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