Ontnemen

Ontnemen is a Dutch verb meaning to deprive someone of something, to take something away, withdraw it, or revoke it. The term is used for both tangible possessions and more abstract things such as rights, privileges, opportunities, or status. It often conveys a sense of formal or authoritative action, rather than a casual loss.

The prefix ont- signals removal or deprivation, and ontnemen is typically transitive: iemand iets ontneemt. Common usages include taking away rights or freedoms, excluding someone from participation, or revoking licenses, privileges, or opportunities. In legal or administrative language, you may encounter phrasing like het recht ontnemen aan iemand (to deprive someone of a right) or de kans ontnemen (to deprive of a chance). The phrasing can also appear in the passive voice, for example: het recht werd hem ontnomen.

In everyday language, more neutral or less formal alternatives such as afnemen or wegnemen are sometimes used, depending on nuance. Afnemen often stresses removal or reduction of a quantity or measure, while ontnemen carries a stronger moral or legal implication of deprivation.

Noun forms related to the verb include ontneming, referring to the deprivation or withdrawal of a right, privilege, or property. Ontnemen is primarily a formal term and is common in journalism, law, and policy discussions, where precise statements about deprivation or revocation are needed.

See also: ontneming, afnemen, wegnemen, ontrekken.