repression

American  

[ri-presh-uhn] / rɪˈprɛʃ ən /

noun

• repressions
  plural

1. the act of repressing; state of being repressed.

2. Psychology, Psychoanalysis. the rejection from consciousness of painful or disagreeable ideas, memories, feelings, or impulses.

   Freud's approach to interpreting early memories emphasizes what is forgotten through the mechanism of repression.

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repression British  

noun

1. the act or process of repressing or the condition of being repressed

2. psychoanal the subconscious rejection of thoughts and impulses that conflict with conventional standards of conduct See suppression

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonrepression
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• repressions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of repression

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English repressioun, from Medieval Latin repressiōn- (stem of repressiō ), Late Latin: “suppression”; see repress, -ion

Explanation

Repression is a kind of holding back or holding down. There's repression of feelings (willing yourself not to cry), as well as social repression (where the government limits freedom or shuts out certain groups). Repression is like suppression: you restrain, inhibit, or subdue something. Not allowing women to vote is a perfect example of political repression. If you have trouble expressing your feelings and keep things bottled up, then emotional repression is a big part of your personality. People often turn to repression because they're scared of what will happen if they say what's on their mind. Unfortunately, political and emotional repression can often lead to anger and even violence.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

repression repressions

The objects in the exhibition often tell a sad and tragic story of repression, she said.

From Barron's ● Sep. 4, 2026

It campaigned under the slogan "For peace and freedom! For a life without fear!" and advocated for a "ceasefire, diplomacy, and peace" and "for a Russia free from fear and political repression".

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

"No one had ever dared do that," said political scientist Luis Salamanca, who noted that up until recently, such statements would have invited harsh political repression.

From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026

Amodei’s main concern, he wrote in the letter, was the risk of authoritarian governments catching up with the U.S. in AI “to achieve permanent military superiority or perpetrate incredibly deep repression of their own people.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

Even as convict leasing faded away, strategic forms of exploitation and repression emerged anew.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

His later conviction marked a hardening of repressions against opponents of the war.

From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2024

Research and public debate about mass repressions by Stalin also have faced significant resistance in recent years.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 20, 2024

All over the country, people are laying flowers at memorials to Soviet repressions.

From New York Times ● Feb. 19, 2024

"We are seeing extremely worrying developments where activists all over the world are experiencing increased repressions just for fighting for our present and our future," the 20-year-old Thunberg said.

From Reuters ● Jun. 22, 2023

By disparagement, by starvation, by repressions, forced direction, and the stunning hammerblows of conditioning, the free, roving mind is being pursued, roped, blunted, drugged.

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck

Related Words

• oppression
• suppression