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sensory deprivation

sensory deprivation

6 7.9
A situation in which people on purpose remove almost all sight, sound, or touch from someone
  • noun
  • /ˈsɛn.sə.ri ˌdɛ.prɪˈveɪ.ʃən/
  • NSFW
translation icon : privación sensorial
  • I still have the sensory deprivation chamber today to help me realign myself on a daily basis.
  • sensory deprivation tank
  • sensory deprivation chamber
  • sensory deprivation experiments

And I think it's fun, and that's why fun is such a wide word, is doing like a sensory deprivation tank.

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Examples

  • According to Grassian, the greater the degree of social and sensory deprivation, the greater the chance someone will develop this syndrome.

    Academic text (1997)
  • For psych tests on deep space, I ran sensory-deprivation trials.

  • I feel totally alone in the sensory deprivation chamber.

  • Similarly, the greater the amount of time spent in conditions of sensory deprivation, the greater the risk of the illness.

    Academic text (1997)
  • When your brain undergoes sensory deprivation for longer periods of time, you lose brain cells.

    Blog text (17)
  • "A lot of what I'm thinking about is what that experience of sensory deprivation must be like," Ruffing said.

    Blog text (31)
  • Much more commonly, they are linked to sensory deprivation, intoxication, illness, or injury.

    Blog text (30)
  • Sensory deprivation and isolation are considered forms of torture and are used to break prisoners.

    Academic text (2010)
  • Not all researchers agree with Grassian's warnings about the risks associated with sensory deprivation in solitary confinement.

    Academic text (1997)
  • In a sensory deprivation chamber, only the sound of my breathing surrounded me.

How Stimulated

overexcitability
  • Specialized
8.2
stimulation
  • Specialized
25 4.4
sensory deprivation
  • NSFW
6 7.9

Surface Forms

Morphology

sensory + deprivation

The meaning 'reduction or removal of sensory stimuli' is directly and compositionally built from 'sensory' (relating to the senses) + 'deprivation' (a lack or removal), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can reasonably infer the phrase. This noun phrase follows a regular, cross-linguistically common pattern (e.g., Spanish 'privación sensorial'), making the expression transparent rather than idiomatic.

Etymology

Sensory deprivation paints a simple picture: your sensory experiences — the things you see, hear, and feel — are taken away, and deprivation means that loss. So the phrase means 'reducing' or 'removing' a person's 'senses' on purpose, for example in experiments or as a form of punishment.