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

More research is needed to better understand the connection between creatine and cognition; but the supplement may be beneficial for brain health, particularly in older adults and for issues related to sleep deprivation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026

"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

The realities of ultra-endurance exercise - multi-day events, sleep deprivation, extreme terrain and conditions, to name but a few – mean the journey to the finish line is as much mental as it is physical.

From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026

Above all, the life of a hunter carries with it the threat of deprivation and death by starvation.

From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer

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

From Salon ● Sep. 12, 2026

Such support can come with deprivations as well as gratifications.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 10, 2026

There is a romantic quality even to the deprivations Smith chronicles, an effect heightened by what she chooses to highlight or withhold.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2025

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

From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2025

Some are distempered out of all reason and nature, and grasp at all who go by with hands emaciated by the deprivations of fever.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson

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Related Words

• destitution
• hardship
• privation

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