depriving

Depriving is the act of causing someone to be deprived of something they possess, are entitled to, or reasonably expect to have. It can involve withholding a resource, right, privilege, or liberty, and it may be intentional or unintentional. The term is commonly used as a verb in phrases such as 'depriving someone of water' or 'depriving a person of rights.'

In legal and public policy contexts, deprivation often refers to the withholding of fundamental freedoms or entitlements, such as deprivation of liberty, privacy, or equal protection under the law. Courts consider deprivation when assessing due process, proportionality, or the legality of state actions. In everyday language, it also appears in discussions of moral or political rights and the consequences of unequal access to resources.

In social science and public health, deprivation is studied as a condition reflecting lack of material, social, or environmental resources. Material deprivation measures lack of income and goods; social deprivation covers isolation and exclusion; sensory or cognitive deprivation concerns reductions in stimuli or cognitive opportunities. Deprivation can have adverse effects on health, development, behavior, and well-being, especially among children and marginalized groups.

Etymology: 'deprive' comes from Middle English deprive, from Old French desprivier, from Latin deprivare, de- 'away' + privare 'to deprive' (related to privus 'private'). The present participle 'depriving' is used to describe the act itself or ongoing situations.