Words / C1

depr-i-VAYSHUN/ˌdeprɪˈveɪʃn/

Deprivation is a damaging lack of something people need: sleep deprivation, rural deprivation. Deprive is the verb (B2). Poverty is wider; shortage can be temporary. Deprived is the adjective (a deprived area). Do not use deprivation for missing one episode of a series.

Meaning

The damaging lack of something people need, such as sleep, food, or opportunity.

Examples

• “Sleep deprivation wrecked his concentration.”
• “Sleep deprivation is a safety issue on night shifts, not a badge of honour.”
• “The map of deprivation did not match the map of house prices in a simple way.”

Good to know

A harmful lack of something needed. Verb: deprive. Adjective: deprived. Wider: poverty. Not missing a TV episode.

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