repression

noun re·pres·sion \ ri-ˈpre-shən \

Definition of repression

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

—

repressionist

play \-sh(ə-)nist\ adjective

See repression defined for English-language learners

See repression defined for kids

Examples of repression in a Sentence

the state's repression of its citizens
They survived 60 years of political repression.

Recent Examples of repression from the Web

Steven Esteb - As a killer is executed for murdering a young gay man, two sets of parents struggle to deal with the consequences of fear and repression.

— mike scott, NOLA.com, "Critical darling 'Mudbound' to headline 2017 New Orleans Film Festival," 22 Aug. 2017
The campaign of repression is already well advanced.

— fabiola zerpa, Bloomberg.com, "Venezuela's Maduro Regime Steps Up Crackdown on Dissidents," 17 Aug. 2017
But bondage, violence and repression were a daily reality in the City of Brotherly Love.

— marcus rediker, Smithsonian, "The “Quaker Comet” Was the Greatest Abolitionist You’ve Never Heard Of," 15 Aug. 2017
The Kims have kept a tight grip on North Korea internally through a brutal system of repression and fear, and have increasingly kept the outside world at bay by developing nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them.

— anna fifield, chicagotribune.com, "Kim Jong Un wants to stay in power — and that is an argument against nuclear war," 11 Aug. 2017
Gallop points to religion and government as roots of repression.

— loren savini, Allure, "These Three Women Are On a Mission to Shatter Porn Stereotypes," 20 July 2017
And Myanmar, after years of isolation and repression, embarked on an unexpected transition to democracy.

— The Economist, "More money, less freedomSouth-East Asia’s future looks prosperous but illiberal," 18 July 2017
Kadyrov, who also spoke about his aim of creating a world-class professional mixed martial arts fight club, vociferously attacked claims of repression.

— joe sterling, CNN, "Chechen leader: No gays here -- but if there are, take them away," 17 July 2017
Despite the cracks in the formerly solid wall of repression in Maduro’s regime, no one expects his government to go easily.

— john fund, National Review, "A Hero, a Turncoat, and a Trojan Horse Shake Venezuela," 9 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'repression.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of repression

15th century

repression Synonyms

Synonyms

continence, discipline, discretion, inhibition, refrainment, constraint, reserve, restraint, self-command, self-control, self-restraint, suppression

Antonyms

disinhibition, incontinence, unconstraint

Near Antonyms

self-abandonment, uninhibitedness; unrestrainedness; gratification, indulgence, overindulgence, self-indulgence; bluntness, candor, frankness; immoderacy, intemperance

Other Psychology Terms

fetish, hypochondria, intelligence, mania, narcissism, neurosis, pathological, psychosis, schadenfreude, subliminal

REPRESSION Defined for English Language Learners

repression

noun

Definition of repression for English Language Learners

: the act of using force to control someone or something
: the state of being controlled by force
: the act of not allowing a memory, feeling, or desire to be expressed

Medical Dictionary

repression

noun re·pres·sion \ ri-ˈpresh-ən \

medical Definition of repression

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 c

b :an item so excluded