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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
See Examples For:
Budgeting and saving shouldn’t be about painful deprivation.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026
Much of the previous research connecting poor sleep with obesity has focused on severe sleep deprivation, often limiting people to only four hours of sleep.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 13, 2026
Bacup has the highest levels of deprivation in the Rossendale Valley according to English indices of deprivation 2025, external statistics.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
“I am suffering from severe sleep deprivation as a result of being woken up repeatedly throughout the night, every night by this hot air,” he wrote.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026
Sleep deprivation catches me and I start hallucinating.
From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen
Such support can come with deprivations as well as gratifications.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 10, 2026
"When hazards overlap or strike repeatedly, they compound existing deprivations."
From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2025
The news organisations noted that: "Journalists endure many deprivations and hardships in warzones. We are deeply alarmed that the threat of starvation is now one of them."
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2025
And it promised that all persons would be protected against deprivations of life, liberty, or property without due process of law.
From Slate ● May 8, 2024
Although I understand the deprivations our people suffer I must make it clear that the level of crime in the township is unhealthy and must be eliminated as a matter of urgency.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
