repression
noun
re·pres·sion
ri-ˈpre-shən 
1
a
: the action or process of repressing : the state of being repressed
repression of unpopular opinions
b
: an instance of repressing
racial repressions
2
a
: a mental process by which distressing thoughts, memories, or impulses that may give rise to anxiety are excluded from consciousness and left to operate in the unconscious
b
: an item so excluded
Examples of repression in a Sentence
the state's repression of its citizens
They survived 60 years of political repression.
Recent Examples on the Web
After nationwide repression of unions, wages fell more in markets where unions had previously delivered larger gains.
—
Teresa Ghilarducci, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
In the northwestern province of Xinjiang, for instance, Beijing has refused to engage moderate voices and has relied on direct repression, including sending a large swath of the population to internment camps, to erase local culture and silence dissent among Uyghurs.
—Tenzin Dorjee, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2025
Though radically different in their approaches, the two films highlight how the same mechanisms of violence and repression that spurred Russia through the Chechen conflicts are being reproduced today.
—Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 31 Aug. 2025
Alongside such military repression of the uprising, Israel also introduced a range of new bureaucratic methods aimed at controlling how Palestinians could move around the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
—Literary Hub
august 27, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for repression
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Teresa Ghilarducci, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
In the northwestern province of Xinjiang, for instance, Beijing has refused to engage moderate voices and has relied on direct repression, including sending a large swath of the population to internment camps, to erase local culture and silence dissent among Uyghurs.
—Tenzin Dorjee, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2025
Though radically different in their approaches, the two films highlight how the same mechanisms of violence and repression that spurred Russia through the Chechen conflicts are being reproduced today.
—Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 31 Aug. 2025
Alongside such military repression of the uprising, Israel also introduced a range of new bureaucratic methods aimed at controlling how Palestinians could move around the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
—Literary Hub
august 27, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for repression
Cite this Entry
“Repression.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/repression. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
repression
noun
re·pres·sion
ri-ˈpresh-ən
1
: the act of repressing : the state of being repressed
2
: a process of the mind by which painful or disturbing thoughts or desires are kept from conscious awareness
Medical Definition
repression
noun
re·pres·sion
ri-ˈpresh-ən
1
: the action or process of repressing
gene repression
2
a
: a process by which unacceptable desires or impulses are excluded from consciousness and left to operate in the unconscious compare suppression sense c
b
: an item so excluded
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