deprave
C2Formal, literary, legal
Definition
Meaning
To make morally bad or corrupt; to pervert.
To corrupt someone's character, morals, or principles; to lead into wickedness or vice. Often used in legal/formal contexts regarding corruption of minors or perversion of justice.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Stronger than 'corrupt'—implies a profound, often irreversible moral degradation. Typically transitive, requiring an object (deprave someone/something). Often used in past participle form 'depraved' as adjective.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is nearly identical. Slightly more common in British legal contexts (e.g., 'deprave and corrupt' as legal phrase).
Connotations
Both carry strong negative moral judgment. In American English, often associated with serious criminality (depraved mind/heart).
Frequency
Low frequency in both, but slightly higher in UK due to fixed legal phrasing.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] depraves [Object][Subject] is depraved by [Agent]to deprave and corruptVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “depraved heart murder (US legal term)”
- “of depraved character”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. Possibly in ethics/compliance contexts: 'The scheme was designed to deprave honest business practices.'
Academic
Philosophy/ethics: 'Theories on what societal forces deprave human nature.'
Everyday
Very rare. Would sound excessively formal or dramatic.
Technical
Legal: 'Material likely to deprave and corrupt.' Psychology: 'Factors that deprave moral reasoning.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The judge warned that such material could deprave vulnerable youngsters.
- The old law criminalised publications intended to deprave public morals.
American English
- The prosecutor argued the film was designed to deprave its audience.
- He was accused of conspiring to deprave the morals of a minor.
adverb
British English
- He acted depravedly, with no regard for decency.
- The villain was depicted as depravedly cunning.
American English
- The scheme was depravedly conceived to exploit the poor.
- He lived depravedly, squandering his fortune on vice.
adjective
British English
- He was found to be of depraved character.
- The depraved nature of the crime shocked the community.
American English
- The defendant acted with a depraved indifference to human life.
- She wrote about the depraved excesses of the regime.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Bad company can deprave a young person.
- The book was banned for depraving its readers.
- The court must decide if the material has a tendency to deprave and corrupt.
- Absolute power is said to deprave absolutely.
- The inquiry examined how systemic corruption had depraved the institution's ethical foundations.
- Philosophers debated whether certain art truly depraves or merely reflects depravity.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: DEEP + GRAVE. A 'deep grave' of morality—something that buries goodness deeply.
Conceptual Metaphor
MORALITY IS PURITY/CORRUPTION IS A DISEASE. To deprave is to infect or poison moral purity.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Not 'лишать' (deprive). False friend. Closer to 'развращать', 'портить нравственно'.
Common Mistakes
- Using intransitively (*He depraved quickly). Confusing with 'deprive'. Using in mild contexts (overstrong).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'deprave' most appropriately used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is a formal, literary, or legal term. In everyday contexts, 'corrupt' or 'ruin' are more common.
'Deprave' means to make morally corrupt. 'Deprive' means to take something away from someone. They are false friends.
Not directly. The adjective form is 'depraved' (e.g., a depraved mind). 'Deprave' is only a verb.
Yes, particularly in British law (e.g., the Obscene Publications Act), it is a fixed phrase meaning to make morally bad and pervert.