deprived
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of deprived
Explanation
Being deprived means lacking important things like food and water. For example, when warm clothing, housing, and nutrition are in short supply, the people are deprived of basics of life. You can use the adjective deprived to describe conditions or people who don’t have what they need or don't have enough. Some uses of deprived are for small things, like when you're deprived of dessert because you didn’t eat your vegetables, but most of the time deprived describes a very serious lack of essential things or services.
Vocabulary lists containing deprived
The Bill of Rights
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Donald Trump Inauguration Address- January 20, 2017
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Miranda v. Arizona (1966): Syllabus
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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.
I could survive with 10%, but my brother has a much lower-paying career, and I would struggle to forgive my father if his actions deprived my brother of financial security.
From MarketWatch • Jul. 6, 2026
Those I spoke to were sleep deprived, their voices hoarse from screaming for survivors.
From BBC • Jun. 28, 2026
Growing up in a small Southwestern town as an only child, Erika’s summers were neither good nor bad, neither deprived nor indulged.
From Salon • Jun. 24, 2026
“The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has so far deprived the market of approximately 10 billion cubic meters each month.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 16, 2026
Having been deprived of reading, he was hungry for new information.
From "The Bad Beginning" by Lemony Snicket
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.
