What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
deprive
Example
The pandemic has deprived many people of their jobs. [deprived: past participle]
Example
The prisoner was deprived of his freedom for years. [deprive: verb]
divest
Example
The company decided to divest its non-core businesses. [divest: verb]
Example
The politician divested himself of all his business interests before taking office. [divested: past participle]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Deprive is more commonly used than divest in everyday language. Deprive is versatile and covers a wide range of contexts, while divest is less common and often used in specific legal or financial contexts.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between deprive and divest?
Both deprive and divest are formal words that are often used in legal or financial contexts. However, deprive can also be used in informal contexts, while divest is less versatile and mostly used in formal contexts.
