oppression

noun

op·​pres·​sion ə-ˈpre-shən 

1

a

: unjust or cruel exercise of authority or power

… the continuing oppression of the … underclasses.

—H. A. Daniels

b

: something that oppresses especially in being an unjust or excessive exercise of power

unfair taxes and other oppressions

2

: a sense of being weighed down in body or mind : depression

an oppression of spirits

Synonyms of oppression

• sadness
• depression
• sorrowfulness
• melancholy
• sorrow
• anguish
• mournfulness

Examples of oppression in a Sentence

suffered a lingering oppression in the weeks after his dog died

Recent Examples on the Web

Referencing the film’s storyline, Moura said that he was born in the middle of the Brazilian military dictatorship and related to his character’s struggles to stick to his values in the face of oppression. —Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 6 Dec. 2025

Despite its shortcomings, Goliath’s Curse is best read as a call to channel apocalyptic angst into a productive political project, an appeal to combat oppression and inequality. —Linda Kinstler, The Atlantic, 1 Dec. 2025

What’s spoken to me most are the stories in which the struggle against oppression is something ongoing, involving unwitting enlistees and imperfect allies, and passed along to younger generations as the older ones are lost to exhaustion, disillusionment, or darker fates. —Alison Willmore, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025

Mass Blackout ⬇ A coalition of leftist groups is asking Americans to withdraw from economic activity to protest oppression over the Thanksgiving weekend. —Newsweek Editors, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English oppressioun, borrowed from Anglo-French oppression, borrowed from Latin oppressiōn-, oppressiō "action of pressing on or overpowering," from oppres- or *oppret-, variant stem of opprimere "to press on, stifle, overpower" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at oppress

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for oppression

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

Kids Definition

oppression

noun

op·​pres·​sion ə-ˈpresh-ən 

1

: cruel or unjust use of authority or power

2

: a feeling of low spirits

Legal Definition

oppression

noun

op·​pres·​sion ə-ˈpre-shən 

: an unjust or excessive exercise of power: as

a

: unlawful, wrongful, or corrupt exercise of authority by a public official acting under color of authority that causes a person harm

b

: dishonest, unfair, wrongful, or burdensome conduct by corporate directors or majority shareholders that entitles minority shareholders to compel involuntary dissolution of the corporation

c

: inequality of bargaining power resulting in one party's lack of ability to negotiate or exercise meaningful choice see also unconscionability

oppressive

ə-ˈpre-siv 

adjective