noun
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an act or instance of depriving
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the state of being deprived
social deprivation
a cycle of deprivation and violence
Other Word Forms
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
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.
Vocabulary lists containing deprivation
"The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant
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"Number the Stars" by Lois Lowry, Introduction and Afterword
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This Week in Words: May 28 - June 1, 2018
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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.
Those biological results were then compared with three national tools that measure neighborhood conditions by zip code: the Area Deprivation Index, the Social Vulnerability Index, and the Environmental Justice Index.
From Science Daily • Oct. 31, 2025
Deprivation cuts the other way: isolation is “agonizing,” Mr. Rein tells us, “one of the worst fates a human can experience.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 13, 2025
We have collectively taken fewer vacation days since the 1980s, according to data from the American Travel Association, and Expedia’s Vacation Deprivation Report finds that our country is bad at getting away.
From Slate • Jul. 20, 2025
The vast majority of the ward is ranked among the lowest 10% of areas in the country on the Index of Multiple Deprivation, which measures levels including income, employment, education and crime.
From BBC • Apr. 21, 2023
Deprivation and hardship were just part of the job of exploring and surviving in the Brazilian wilderness.
From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
