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
Other ancestors had fled aboard the Mayflower from the persecution of Puritans in England, aboard a steamship from pogroms in Ukraine, aboard a schooner from Spanish repression in Cuba.
—
Yoni Appelbaum, The Atlantic, 8 June 2026
Meanwhile, the government’s response continues to be repression and violations of citizens’ rights, Espinosa said.
—Sarah Moreno
june 5, Miami Herald, 6 June 2026
The work denounces the repression and lack of human rights that Iranian society, especially women, suffers at the hands of the Iranian regime, the foundation said.
—Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026
Women’s and girls’ rights were restricted almost instantly after 1979 and for Satrapi, this meant having to wear the veil, being separated from her male school friends, and watching the adults in her life suffer from repressions.
—Mustafa Qadri, CNN Money, 4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for repression
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Yoni Appelbaum, The Atlantic, 8 June 2026
Meanwhile, the government’s response continues to be repression and violations of citizens’ rights, Espinosa said.
—Sarah Moreno
june 5, Miami Herald, 6 June 2026
The work denounces the repression and lack of human rights that Iranian society, especially women, suffers at the hands of the Iranian regime, the foundation said.
—Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026
Women’s and girls’ rights were restricted almost instantly after 1979 and for Satrapi, this meant having to wear the veil, being separated from her male school friends, and watching the adults in her life suffer from repressions.
—Mustafa Qadri, CNN Money, 4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for repression
Cite this Entry
“Repression.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/repression. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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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