privation means the state of being deprived of or lacking an attribute formerly or properly possessed; the loss or absence of such an attribute. It carries an Arena rating of 1637, earned across 5 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, privation ranks #1,009 of 17,131 for Scariest Words, #1,534 of 17,134 for Most Malleable Words, #2,213 of 17,124 for Most Sublime Words, #3,363 of 17,132 for Most Betrayed by Its Sound.
privation is pronounced /pɹɪˈveɪʃən/.
Why “privation” is a great word
The state of being deprived of or lacking basic necessities or attributes, often implying severe hardship or loss. From Middle English privacioun, from Middle French privation, from Old French privacion, from Latin prīvātiōn-, prīvātiō ("a taking away"). Unlike "deprivation," which implies a removal from a state of prior possession or right, or "hardship," a broad canvas of suffering, privation is the stark ground of absence itself. It is the relentless gnaw in an empty belly, the pervasive chill in a room without heat, the hollow silence where comfort’s murmur should be—a cold grammar of need, defining a life not by what is suffered, but by what is permanently, fundamentally missing.
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English privacioun, from Middle French privation, privacion, from Old French privacion, from Latin prīvātiō; compare French privation. See private.
noun
- The state of being deprived of or lacking an attribute formerly or properly possessed; the loss or absence of such an attribute.
- The state of being very poor, and lacking the basic necessities of life.e.g.“His [the Native American's] nature is stern, simple and enduring; fitted to grapple with difficulties, and to support privations.” — 1820 July, Geoffrey Crayon [pseudonym; Washington Irving], “Traits of Indian Character”, in The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., 1st UK edition, volume II, London: John Murray, […], →OCLC, page
- The act of depriving someone of such basic necessities; deprivation.
- Degradation or suspension from an office.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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