Word
deprive
Phoneticsde·prive, stress on the second syllable
US/dɪˈpɹaɪv/
UK/dɪpɹˈaɪv/
Definitions
01to take away or deny
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to take something away from someone or prevent them from having it, especially something they need like sleep or food.
v. to prevent a person or place from having or using something; almost always takes a direct object followed by the preposition 'of'.
“Working two jobs started to deprive him of the sleep he needed to stay healthy.”
“The new legislation threatened to deprive local communities of their right to protest against the proposed industrial development.”
02to remove from office
C2 · Proficiency Religion Formal · Technical
v. to officially remove a priest or member of the church from their position.
v. to divest a member of the clergy of their ecclesiastical office or benefice.
“The bishop decided to deprive the priest of his position after the scandal.”
“Historical records show the vicar was deprived of his living during the political upheavals of the seventeenth century.”
Antonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “deprive” in context.
Verb
01. deprive a citizen of rights
“The new legislation threatened to deprive ordinary citizens of their fundamental human rights.”
verb + noun + prep + noun
02. deprive children of opportunities
“Growing up in poverty can deprive children of the educational opportunities they deserve.”
verb + noun + prep + noun
03. deprive the body of oxygen
“If the brain is deprived of oxygen for more than a few minutes, permanent damage can occur.”
verb + noun + prep + noun
04. systematically deprive a population
“The regime was accused of systematically depriving the population of access to clean water.”
adv + verb
Adverb
05. cruelly deprive a family
“The sudden accident cruelly deprived the young family of their primary breadwinner.”
adv + verb
06. unfairly deprive a worker
“The union argued that the company had unfairly deprived the workers of their hard-earned bonuses.”
adv + verb
Usage
The verb is transitive and requires the preposition 'of' before the thing being taken away.
Pitfall
to deprive someone from something
to deprive someone of something
Deprive always takes the preposition 'of' rather than 'from'.
Real-World Examples
“Councils will need to consider whether losing a pub would deprive a community of a somewhere for people to gather.” “American financial intelligence and asset-recovery tools could help dismantle that infrastructure , depriving these organizations of the resources they use to expand.” “The British punished rebellious New Englanders by depriving them of their livelihood.” Etymology
From Middle English depryven, from Old French depriver, from Medieval Latin dēprīvō, from Latin dē- + prīvō.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
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