repress

play

verb re·press \ri-ˈpres\

Definition of repress

transitive verb
1a : to check by or as if by pressure : curb injustice was repressedb : to put down by force : subdue repress a disturbance
2a : to hold in by self-control repressed a laughb : to prevent the natural or normal expression, activity, or development of repressed her anger
3 : to exclude from consciousness repressed the memory of abuse
4 : to inactivate (a gene or formation of a gene product) by allosteric combination at a DNA binding site
intransitive verb
: to take repressive action

repressibility

play \-ˌpre-sə-ˈbi-lə-tē\ noun

repressible

play \-ˈpre-sə-bəl\ adjective

repressive

play \-ˈpre-siv\ adjective

repressively

adverb

repressiveness

noun

See repress defined for English-language learners

See repress defined for kids

Examples of repress in a Sentence

Religious groups were severely repressed.
quickly repressed the rebellion in the provincial city and restored order

Recent Examples of repress from the Web

In my humble opinion, men who go out of their way to bash and/or degrade homosexuality may be repressing feelings of homosexuality themselves.

— corey townsend, The Root, "Brunch Is the Most Important Meal of the Gay?," 11 July 2017
That’s why somebody that represses fear may not be able to sleep well at night.

— connor grossman, SI.com, "How fear influences athletes—and what you can do to have a healthy relationship with it," 5 July 2017
Slavery was expensive and borderline inefficient, given the costs of repressing slave revolts.

— jason johnson, The Root, "Philando Castile Settlement Shows White America Willingly Pays for White Supremacy," 28 June 2017
Cora is an extraordinary heroine, a woman determined not to let anyone repress her again.

— sarah perry, Philly.com, "'Essex Serpent': Mythical monster, remarkable heroine," 16 June 2017
Cuba’s communist leaders mockingly repressed opposition party leaders and members to the point of almost daring the U.S. to respond.

— NBC News, "Trump and Cuba: Crackdown, But No Breakup," 16 June 2017
All of this happened amid explosive tensions, in a country where security forces have brutally repressed anti-government demonstrations, sometimes in collaboration with armed pro-government groups.

— josé miguel vivanco and tamara taraciuk broner, CNN, "What the world needs to do about Venezuela," 11 June 2017
The irony, of course, is that the good doctor has to keep shooting up to repress the beast within him.

— brian lowry, CNN, "'The Mummy' awkwardly stumbles into Dark Universe," 9 June 2017
In the popular imagination, school bathrooms brimmed with pathology and repressed sexuality.

— j.y. chua, The Atlantic, "Bathing in Controversy," 2 June 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of repress

Middle English, from Anglo-French represser, from Latin repressus, past participle of reprimere to check, from re- + premere to press — more at press

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First Known Use: 14th century

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REPRESS Defined for English Language Learners

repress

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verb

Definition of repress for English Language Learners

: to not allow yourself to do or express (something)
: to not allow yourself to remember (something, such as an unpleasant event)
: to control (someone or something) by force

REPRESS Defined for Kids

repress

play

verb re·press \ri-ˈpres\

Definition of repress for Students

repressed

;

repressing

: to hold in check by or as if by pressure On seeing his haircut, I had to repress a laugh.

Medical Dictionary

repress

play

transitive verb re·press \ri-ˈpres\

Medical Definition of repress

1: to exclude from consciousness repress conflicts
2: to inactivate (a gene or formation of a gene product) by allosteric combination at a DNA binding site