in the common law, the act of bereaving, divesting, or taking away a spiritual promotion or dignity: as when a bishop, vicar, prebend, or the like, is depoed or deprived of his preferment, for some matter, or fault, in fact, or in law. See Deposition.

Deprivation is of two kinds; a beneficio, et ab officio.

Deprivation a beneficio is, when for some great crime a minister is wholly and for every deprived of his living or preferment: which differs from suspension, in that the latter is only temporary.

Deprivation ab officio, is when a minister is forever deprived of his order; which is the same, in reality, with what we otherwise call deposition and degradation; and is usually for some heinous crime deserving death, and is performed by the bishop in a solemn manner. See Degradation.