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Synonyms

deprived

American  
[dih-prahyvd] / dɪˈpraɪvd /

adjective

  1. marked by deprivation; lacking the necessities of life, as adequate food and shelter.

    a deprived childhood.


deprived British  
/ dɪˈpraɪvd /

adjective

  1. lacking adequate food, shelter, education, etc

    deprived inner-city areas

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of deprived

First recorded in 1545–55; deprive + -ed 2

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.

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Vocabulary lists containing deprived

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.

This chili was born from a small personal challenge: spend less than $20 at the grocery store on a dinner that could stretch two nights for two people without anyone feeling remotely deprived.

From Salon • May 19, 2026

Experiments have shown that when people feel deprived or resentful, they become significantly more prone to gamble.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026

Suu Kyi's lawyers Francois Zimeray and Catalina de la Sota told AFP in a statement they "welcome the evolution of her situation while stressing that she remains wrongly deprived of liberty".

From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026

The cases rely on the Constitution’s guarantee of due process before being deprived of life, liberty or property.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 19, 2026

People I meet now assume that my childhood years in Africa were dark and deprived.

From "How Dare the Sun Rise" by Sandra Uwiringiyimana

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