suppression

noun

sup·​pres·​sion sə-ˈpre-shən 

1

: an act or instance of suppressing : the state of being suppressed

2

: the conscious intentional exclusion from consciousness of a thought or feeling

Synonyms

• restraint
• repression
• discipline
• inhibition

Examples of suppression in a Sentence

learned that suppression of her angry feelings didn't necessarily make them go away

Recent Examples on the Web

Large-scale cultural editing of those criticisms, amounting to suppression of left-leaning views, would hurt the public’s ability to discuss and resolve political disagreements. —Gregory P. Magarian, The Conversation, 10 Oct. 2025

Advertisement The prison in Silivri has a storied place in Turkish politics; it has been long associated with the suppression of dissent. —Afşin Yurdakul, Time, 7 Oct. 2025

Hicks McTaggart, a reluctant private eye riding the industry’s transition from strikebreaking (labor suppression was once a major part of the private-detective business) to investigating cheating spouses, gets swept up in a case concerning the bombing of a bootlegger’s hooch wagon. —Jack Denton, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2025

The fire suppression efforts involve five engines, one water tender, two dozers and one hand crew. —Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 5 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for suppression

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

Medical Definition

suppression

noun

sup·​pres·​sion sə-ˈpresh-ən 

: an act or instance of suppressing: as

a

: stoppage of a bodily function or a symptom

suppression of urine secretion

suppression of a cough

b

: the failure of development of a bodily part or organ

c

: the conscious intentional exclusion from consciousness of a thought or feeling compare repression sense 2a