privation /prai'veijn; prafvefan/ n 1 [U, C] lack of the necessaries of life; destitution: 生活必需品的缺乏; 窮困： fall ill through ~; 因缺乏生活必需品而生病; 貧病交加; suffering many ~s. 備嘗艱辛。 2 [C] state of being deprived of sth (not necessarily sth essential): 被剝奪某物(不一定為必需品); 喪失; 不便： He found it a great ~ not being allowed to smoke in prison. 他覺得在監(jiān)獄中禁止吸煙是一件很大的不便。