suppress
Americanverb (used with object)
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to put an end to the activities of (a person, body of persons, etc.).
to suppress the Communist and certain left-leaning parties.
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to do away with by or as by authority; abolish; stop (a practice, custom, etc.).
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to keep in or repress (a feeling, smile, groan, etc.).
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to withhold from disclosure or publication (truth, evidence, a book, names, etc.).
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to stop or arrest (a flow, hemorrhage, cough, etc.).
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to vanquish or subdue (a revolt, rebellion, etc.); quell; crush.
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Genetics. to keep (a gene) from being expressed.
Let's say that future genetic engineers discover a gene for suicidal depression, and learn how to suppress the gene or adjust it.
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Electricity. to reduce or eliminate (an irregular or undesired oscillation or frequency) in a circuit.
verb
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to put an end to; prohibit
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to hold in check; restrain
I was obliged to suppress a smile
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to withhold from circulation or publication
to suppress seditious pamphlets
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to stop the activities of; crush
to suppress a rebellion
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electronics
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to reduce or eliminate (unwanted oscillations) in a circuit
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to eliminate (a particular frequency or group of frequencies) in a signal
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psychiatry
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to resist consciously (an idea or a desire entering one's mind)
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to exercise self-control by preventing the expression of (certain desires) Compare repress
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Other Word Forms
- nonsuppressive adjective
- nonsuppressively adverb
- nonsuppressiveness noun
- presuppress verb (used with object)
- resuppress verb (used with object)
- self-suppressing adjective
- self-suppressive adjective
- suppresser noun
- suppressible adjective
- suppressive adjective
- suppressively adverb
- suppressor noun
- unsuppressible adjective
- unsuppressive adjective
Etymology
Origin of suppress
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English suppressen, from Latin suppressus (past participle of supprimere “to press down”), equivalent to sup- sup- + pressus ( press 1 )
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.
