repression

noun

re·​pres·​sion ri-ˈpre-shən 

1

a

: the action or process of repressing : the state of being repressed

repression of unpopular opinions

b

: an instance of repressing

racial repressions

2

a

: a mental process by which distressing thoughts, memories, or impulses that may give rise to anxiety are excluded from consciousness and left to operate in the unconscious

b

: an item so excluded

repressionist

ri-ˈpre-sh(ə-)nist 

adjective

Synonyms

• constraint
• continence
• discipline
• discretion
• inhibition
• refrainment
• reserve
• restraint
• self-command
• self-control
• self-restraint
• suppression

Examples of repression in a Sentence

the state's repression of its citizens

They survived 60 years of political repression.

Recent Examples on the Web

The decision was also a relief for the hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans living in the United States who were grappling with the uncertainty of returning to a country where many of them could face political persecution and repression from Nicolas Maduro’s government. —Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2025

Authoritarian organizations do not yield gracefully and usually react with violent repression. —Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2025

Read: Hong Kong is self-destructing Since 2019, more than 5,000 emigrants have moved to the South London borough of Sutton, where a local group organized a camp in 2023 to educate children of the Hong Kong diaspora about Chinese repression. —Cora Engelbrecht, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2025

This revision rarely makes it into popular conceptions of repression. —Gabrielle Principe, The Conversation, 24 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for repression

• accession
• aggression
• compression
• concession
• confession
• depression
• digression
• discretion
• expression
• impression
• obsession
• oppression

Kids Definition

repression

noun

re·​pres·​sion ri-ˈpresh-ən 

1

: the act of repressing : the state of being repressed

2

: a process of the mind by which painful or disturbing thoughts or desires are kept from conscious awareness

Medical Definition

repression

noun

re·​pres·​sion ri-ˈpresh-ən 

1

: the action or process of repressing

gene repression

2

a

: a process by which unacceptable desires or impulses are excluded from consciousness and left to operate in the unconscious compare suppression sense c

b

: an item so excluded