Deprivation
/ˌdɛprɪˈveɪʃən/
nounB2
Definition
Deprivation is the state of not having something you need or want, especially basic things like food, water, sleep, or safety. It usually means that this lack causes difficulties or makes life harder. People can experience deprivation in many ways, such as sleep deprivation or social deprivation.
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⚡ See It in Action
Lack of basic needs or comforts
- •Many people suffer from sleep deprivation after working long hours.
- •Malnutrition is caused by food deprivation in poor areas.
- •The prisoners experienced deprivation of fresh air and sunlight.
Loss or removal of something important
- •The child’s deprivation of love affected his emotional growth.
- •Social deprivation can happen when people have no friends or family support.
🧲 Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "deprivation" like "lack" (A1 word), but more serious and often about important needs, not just small things
- ✓Picture a dry, empty glass that should have water but is completely empty—this emptiness is deprivation
- ✓It's the feeling when you miss a good night's sleep for many nights and feel very tired and unhappy
- ✓Sounds like "deep-privation" → imagine a deep hole where something important is missing or taken away
- ✓Think of stories or movies where characters suffer because they have no food or no rest, showing deprivation clearly
- ✓NOT like "want" (which means you wish for something), deprivation means you actually do NOT have it and it harms you
- ✓NOT like "choice" (you decide not to have something), deprivation is usually forced or accidental, not by choice
- ✓NOT like "shortage" (which can be small or temporary), deprivation often means a serious, harmful lack of something important
🔄 Try Other Words
- •Shortage: not enough of something (Use when the missing thing is less serious or temporary)
- •Deficiency: a lack of something needed, often in health (Use for medical or technical contexts)
- •Absence: when something is not present (Use when focusing on something missing, often neutral)
- •Scarcity: very small amount available (Use when something is rare or hard to find)
🔍 Unboxing
- •Word parts: "de-" (prefix meaning removal or reversal) + "privation" (from Latin meaning deprivation or loss)
- •Etymology: From Latin "deprivare," meaning to take away or remove something
- •Historical development: Entered English in the 16th century to describe loss or absence of necessary things
- •Modern usage: Commonly used in psychology, health, and social sciences to describe harmful lack of essentials like sleep, food, or social contact
- •Key insight: The prefix "de-" shows something is taken away or missing, making deprivation a serious condition of loss
💭 Reflect & Connect
•How does deprivation affect a person’s body and mind differently?
•Can deprivation sometimes lead to positive change, or is it always harmful?
Fill in the blanks with the correct word:
1.Sleep deprivation often happens when someone ___ enough rest for many nights.
2.The deprivation of food during the famine caused ___ health problems in the community.
3.Unlike simple lack, deprivation usually means the missing thing is ___ for well-being.
4.People who experience social deprivation may feel ___ and lonely.
5.The government took steps to reduce deprivation by providing ___ to poor families.
6.When someone chooses not to eat, it is not deprivation but a ___ action.
7.Prolonged deprivation can cause serious ___ to both mental and physical health.