# bereave

> English word · Verb · IPA /bɪˈɹiːv/

## Definitions
1. To deprive by or as if by violence; to rob; to strip.
2. To take away by destroying, impairing, or spoiling; take away by violence.
3. To deprive of power; prevent.
4. To take away someone or something that is important or close; deprive.
5. To destroy life; cut off.

## Etymology
Inherited from Middle English bireven, from Old English berēafian (“to bereave, deprive of, take away, seize, rob, despoil”), from Proto-Germanic *biraubōną, and Old English berēofan (“to bereave, deprive, rob of”); both equivalent to be- + reave. Cognate with Dutch beroven (“to rob, deprive, bereave”), German berauben (“to deprive, rob, bereave”), Danish berøve (“to deprive of”), Norwegian berøve (“to deprive”), Swedish beröva (“to rob”), Gothic 𐌱𐌹𐍂𐌰𐌿𐌱𐍉𐌽 (biraubōn).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/bereave