Meaning & use
repression
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Meanings
noununcountable
The use of force or harsh rules by a government or group to control people and stop them from expressing themselves.
Grammar: Often followed by of: the repression of dissent.
Patterns
- repression of something
- political repression
The regime's repression of journalists drew protests.
Years of repression silenced the opposition.
Human rights groups condemned the repression.
noununcountabletechnical
The unconscious pushing of painful memories or desires out of your awareness.
Grammar: Used in psychology.
Patterns
- repression of memories
The therapist discussed repression of childhood memories.
Freud wrote about repression.
Repression can lead to anxiety.
noununcountable
The act of holding back a feeling or reaction on purpose.
Grammar: Often emotional repression.
Patterns
- emotional repression
Emotional repression can harm relationships.
His repression of anger kept the peace at dinner.
She struggled with repression of her tears.
Word forms
| plural | repressions |
|---|
Common combinations
- political repression
- The country suffered decades of political repression.
- harsh repression
- The protests met harsh repression.
- emotional repression
- Emotional repression made him distant.
- sexual repression
- The novel explores sexual repression.
- state repression
- State repression grew after the coup.
Synonyms and how they differ
- suppression
- Suppression is stopping something by force, but can describe a deliberate act more than a lasting condition.
- oppression
- Oppression stresses cruel and unfair treatment over a long time.
- censorship
- Censorship is restricting speech or media specifically.
- inhibition
- Inhibition is a personal holding back of behavior.
Opposites
Word family
- repress verb
- to hold back or control by force
- repressed adjective
- held back, especially emotionally
- repressive adjective
- using harsh control
- repressor noun
- someone or something that represses
Commonly confused: repression or depression? repression or suppression?
repression vs depression
Depression is a mood disorder or a lowered area; repression is holding back.
repression vs suppression
Suppression is a deliberate, conscious act; repression is often unconscious.
Practice
Which is an example of political repression?
Choose one answer.
Repression means controlling people by force or harsh rules; jailing critics fits. The other events are normal government acts.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “repression”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.