oppressed

adjective

op·​pressed ə-ˈprest How to pronounce oppressed (audio)
Synonyms of oppressednext
: burdened by abuse of power or authority
Group identity in oppressed groups is always very strategic, always a calculation of advantage.Shelby Steele
They are neither oppressed minorities, whose needs have been etched into the nation's consciousness, nor members of the ruling elite, born with their hands on the reins of power.Anthony DeCurtis

Examples of oppressed in a Sentence

setting out on a quixotic quest to right wrongs and to raise up the oppressed peoples of the world
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Al-Mousawi, of the historically oppressed Shia Muslim faith, was previously detained and had served about 11 years as a political prisoner following arrests across the region in the wake of the Arab Spring, said Alwadaei of BIRD. Jane Lytvynenko, NBC news, 17 Apr. 2026 Dahl had no record of support for other minority, oppressed or marginalized group. Alan M. Dershowitz, New York Daily News, 16 Apr. 2026 According to Ehrman, Jesus’s teachings universalized earlier Jewish ethics by extending the duty to care for the poor, oppressed, and needy beyond one’s own community to include all people. Big Think, 26 Mar. 2026 The tiny minority that held this fragile wealth has long needed protection, both from the vast numbers of oppressed people needed to extract it and from the federal government determined to protect them. USA Today, 8 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for oppressed

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of oppressed was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Oppressed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oppressed. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.

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