oppression

[ uh-presh-uhn ]
See synonyms for oppression on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. the exercise of authority or power in a burdensome, cruel, or unjust manner.

  2. an act or instance of oppressing or subjecting to cruel or unjust impositions or restraints.

  1. the state of being oppressed.

  2. the feeling of being heavily burdened, mentally or physically, by troubles, adverse conditions, anxiety, etc.

Origin of oppression

1
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English oppressioun, from Middle French, from Latin oppressiōn-, stem of oppressiō “a pressing down,” equivalent to oppress(us) “pressed down” + -iō noun suffix; see oppress, -ion

Other words for oppression

Opposites for oppression

Other words from oppression

  • non·op·pres·sion, noun
  • pre·op·pres·sion, noun
  • self-op·pres·sion, noun

Words Nearby oppression

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use oppression in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for oppression

oppression

/ (əˈprɛʃən) /


noun
  1. the act of subjugating by cruelty, force, etc or the state of being subjugated in this way

  2. the condition of being afflicted or tormented

  1. the condition of having something lying heavily on one's mind, imagination, etc

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012