suppression

[suh-presh-uhn]

noun

1. the act of suppressing.

2. the state of being suppressed.

3. Psychoanalysis.,  conscious inhibition of an impulse.

4. Botany.,  the absence of parts normally or usually present due to the action of frost, disease, or insects.

5. Radio, Electronics.,  the elimination of a component of a varying emission, as the elimination of a frequency or group of frequencies from a signal.

6. Electricity.,  the reduction or elimination of irregular current oscillations or frequencies in a circuit.

suppression

/ səˈprɛʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of suppressing or the condition of being suppressed

2. psychoanal the conscious avoidance of unpleasant thoughts Compare repression

3. electronics the act or process of suppressing a frequency, oscillation, etc

4. biology the failure of an organ or part to develop

5. med the cessation of any physiological process

Other Word Forms

• nonsuppression noun
• resuppression noun
• self-suppression noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of suppression¹

First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin suppressiōn-, stem of suppressiō “a pressing under”; equivalent to suppress + -ion

Example Sentences

Firefighters continued suppression efforts during the day on Jan. 1, wetting down areas within the fire perimeter.

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The bill drew strong opposition from teacher unions, faculty groups, Muslim organizations and liberal groups who worried about the suppression of discussion about current events in the Middle East.

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The US prosecutors say Mas'ud's version of events does not stand up to scrutiny, and the "extreme remedy" of suppression should not be used.

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But fire and ecology experts say more than a century of fire suppression have made that unrealistic.

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But it has faced a backlash from US tech giants, with Musk saying last month that its real purpose was "suppression of the people" and that Ofcom had taken a "heavy-handed approach" to enforcement.

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Related Words

• elimination 
• overthrow