oppressor
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of oppressor
First recorded in 1375–1425; oppress ( def. ) + -or 2 ( def. )
Explanation
An oppressor is any authority (a group or a person) that uses its power unjustly to keep people under control. Many rebellious teenagers view their parents as oppressors, but the word is usually used to refer to dictators. While you might complain about your oppressor, the teacher who makes you stay late to catch up on assignments you missed, a true oppressor denies basic human rights to people who live under their control. Before Partition in 1947, the citizens of India mostly viewed their British rulers as oppressors — in some cases, Indian farmers were forced by the British to grow non-food crops, causing thousands to starve. The Latin root is opprimere, "to crush or subdue."
Vocabulary lists containing oppressor
Every Falling Star
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A Night Divided
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Vocabulary from Readings 2, Unit 3
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Linda, a “Survivor” fan who pleasure-reads books about making it in the wild, suddenly gains strength over her corporate oppressor.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026
"I have no fear, you are behind me and by my side. I have no fear because the nation is united. The nation is united against the oppressor," the letter said according to Reuters.
From BBC • Mar. 29, 2025
The workers were already resentful of their exploitation by foreign companies and their collaborators; now was an opportunity to make common cause against a hated oppressor.
From Salon • May 4, 2024
“Somehow this narrative got mixed up that Jews are an oppressor rather than an oppressee, and I don’t know how that narrative came about,” Mark said.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 20, 2023
Under the circumstances, they would have regarded me as a collaborator of the oppressor.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
