noun
repression
rih-PRESH-un/rɪˈpreʃn/
The suppression of activity or expression.
The government's repression prevents citizens from openly criticizing its policies.
Etymology
The noun names the act of “pressing back,” understood as restraint or subduing. Applied to feelings, ideas, or opposition, it presents control as pressure that prevents expression or resistance.
In context
in authoritarian regimes, these kinds of policies can be used to suppress minority opinions and to continue to extend repression.
More examples
- The police use violence as a tool of political repression.
- Repression keeps painful memories outside conscious awareness.
- The study examines the repression of gene activity.
Forms
repression · repressions
repress verb — To hold back or suppress activity or expression.
repressive adjective — Severely restricting people's actions or expression.
Similar words
- suppression
- Broadly covers stopping activity or preventing something from being expressed.
- restraint
- Emphasizes limiting action and can involve voluntary self-control.
- censorship
- Specifically restricts speech, publications, or other forms of communication.