To take something away from someone or prevent them from having something they need or want.
From Latin *deprivare* meaning 'to dispossess, to strip of', from *de-* ('away') and *privare* ('to rob, to release from'). It originally referred to taking away rights or property.
Depriving someone doesn’t just remove objects; it can remove chances, rights, and even sleep. The word is often used in human-rights language because it highlights what people are unfairly missing, not just what others are doing.
Laws and customs have historically deprived women and gender minorities of property rights, education, voting, and bodily autonomy, often justified through gendered ideologies. Language about 'depriving' has sometimes obscured systemic responsibility by framing harms as isolated acts.
Be specific about who is deprived of what and by whom; recognize structural patterns, including gendered ones, rather than implying individual failings.
["deny","withhold","strip (of rights)"]
When discussing historical deprivation of rights, highlight movements led by women and gender-diverse people to secure those rights.
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