repressive

[ri-pres-iv]

adjective

1. tending or serving to repress.

   repressive laws.

Other Word Forms

• repressively adverb
• repressiveness noun
• nonrepressive adjective
• unrepressive adjective
• unrepressively adverb
• unrepressiveness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of repressive¹

1375–1425; late Middle English < Medieval Latin repressīvus < Latin repress ( us ) ( repress ) + -īvus -ive

Example Sentences

García Harfuch descends from a line of prominent government officials, their careers reflecting, in part, Mexico’s past under a repressive, authoritarian government.

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Mamdani seems to have deftly prevented such repressive actions against his city, at least for a while.

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Since the early 2000s, asylum seekers from Chechnya have been coming to Europe - fleeing first the war and later Kadyrov's repressive rule.

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But Hasina has long been accused of enacting repressive authoritarian measures against her political opponents, detractors and the media - a remarkable turnaround for a leader who once fought for multi-party democracy.

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Fondly known as Mama Samia, the 65-year-old president is now facing mounting accusations of heading a repressive government responsible for violently crushing historic protests.

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Related Words

• coercive 
• restrictive