Etymology Map
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Deprive

3 stages from Medieval Latin to English.

Today it means to deny someone something

Where does the word "deprive" come from? It comes from Medieval Latin deprivare, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
deprivare
Medieval Latin · medieval
"to remove from office"
'de-' plus 'privare', to rob
2
Stage 2 of 3
depriver
Old French · medieval
"to deprive"
used of removing clergy from office
3
Stage 3 of 3
deprive
English · 1300s
"to remove from office"
'sleep deprivation' dates from the 1900s
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Read the full story

Deprive’s story begins in Medieval Latin: deprivare meant “to remove from office.” 'de-' plus 'privare', to rob. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as depriver. Used of removing clergy from office. It reached English by 1300s as deprive. 'sleep deprivation' dates from the 1900s. Today, deprive means to deny someone something.