deprive
Americanverb (used with object)
-
deprives,
present (3rd person singular)
-
deprived,
past participle, past
-
depriving
present participle
-
to remove or withhold something from the enjoyment or possession of (a person or persons).
to deprive a man of life; to deprive a baby of candy.
-
to remove from ecclesiastical office.
verb
-
(foll by of) to prevent from possessing or enjoying; dispossess (of)
-
archaic to remove from rank or office; depose; demote
Synonym Usage
See strip 1.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
deprivalnoun
-
deprivernoun
-
predepriveverb (used with object)
-
deprivableadjective
-
deprivativeadjective
-
nondeprivableadjective
-
self-deprivingadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
deprivesimple
-
deprivessimple
-
have deprivedperfect
-
has deprivedperfect
-
am deprivingprogressive
-
are deprivingprogressive
-
is deprivingprogressive
-
have been deprivingperfect progressive
-
has been deprivingperfect progressive
Past
-
deprivedsimple
-
had deprivedperfect
-
was deprivingprogressive
-
were deprivingprogressive
-
had been deprivingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of deprive
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English depriven, from Anglo-French, Old French depriver, from Medieval Latin dēprīvāre, equivalent to Latin dē- de- + prīvāre “to deprive” ( prīv(us) private + -āre infinitive suffix)
Explanation
Deprive means to keep from having. If your little brother gets loud and hyper every time he eats sweets, your parents might deprive him of sugary cereal and candy. Deprive can also mean to take away something that someone already had, or feels they deserve to have, like basic human rights. "A crowd gathered to protest the man's imprisonment for a crime he did not commit; they didn't want to allow the government to deprive him of his freedom." The word comes from the Latin, de", which means "entirely," and privare, which means "release from." Put together, they mean to "entirely release from." In this case, the imprisoned man's freedom is being "entirely released," or taken away, and he'll no longer have it.
Vocabulary lists containing deprive
The Declaration of Independence
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954)
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Freak the Mighty
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Falling exports deprive Tehran of the hard currency it needs to support the rial and pay for imports, including raw materials for factories.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 2026
"This shows that fires not only destroy forests but also deprive animals of shelter and food," Argitoe said.
From Barron's ● Sep. 5, 2026
So while Murrill’s desire to deprive exonerees of money is terrible, Alexander said, her efforts to prevent them from having their names officially cleared are truly reprehensible.
From Salon ● Aug. 10, 2026
If we only define people with dementia based on their deficits, we become demoralized and give in to pessimistic attitudes that inevitably deprive them of dignity and hope.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 20, 2026
“I see a light in the kitchen. Let us not deprive Molly any longer of the chance to deplore how thin you are.”
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
But I saw, up close, how thoroughly the system deprives people from the lifelines of family connection they need.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
This particularly deprives eastern parts of the country of rainfall and sees a later start to the northern wet season -- though less chance of tropical cyclones.
From Barron's ● Jun. 11, 2026
Perhaps that’s Zhao’s point, that loss deprives us of the people we once were.
From Salon ● Nov. 30, 2025
A heart attack deprives heart muscle cells of oxygen and nutrients, causing many of them to die.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 21, 2025
Reacting to the portrait in “a direct, straightforward fashion,” without the benefit of additional knowledge, deprives us of an understanding that is necessary for full appreciation.
From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson
The overuse of “iconic” has deprived the word of much of its meaning.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
Then he started out coaching by volunteering with the Access to Sports Project for deprived children in Finsbury Park.
From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026
The Spellow Lane Community Hub and Library originally opened in 2023 to serve deprived communities.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
Now, with an angry population and a government deprived of money, a bit of Reaganesque rhetoric might have a powerful effect.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
Groves, who thought the latter shortcoming deprived Oppie of the scientific prestige the project leader should possess, plainly was unaware of the scientists towering reputation in the physics community.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
Though hugely popular with visitors, short-term lodgings are blamed by residents in many popular travel destinations for depriving locals of apartments for long-term rent and pushing up prices.
From Barron's ● Sep. 9, 2026
In 2023, his team reported that depriving colon cancer cells of arginine caused them to accumulate more mutations.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 3, 2026
“A shorter timeline would be artificially compressed and risks depriving this Court of a full record on which to decide this $110 billion case.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
The brothers claim Ledward's "misconduct is causing ongoing harm" to Boseman's elderly parents and depriving them "of financial assets at a vulnerable age when such support is most critical".
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
Among their legal arguments, the lawyers said that depriving the Carter Cowboys from competing in the playoffs would cause irreparable harm.
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
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.
