suppression

noun

sup·​pres·​sion sə-ˈpre-shən 

1

: an act or instance of suppressing : the state of being suppressed

2

: the conscious intentional exclusion from consciousness of a thought or feeling

Synonyms of suppression

• restraint
• repression
• discipline
• inhibition

Examples of suppression in a Sentence

learned that suppression of her angry feelings didn't necessarily make them go away

Recent Examples on the Web

During last week's evidence suppression hearing, which stretched on for days, prosecutors played in court for the first time the recording of the 911 call that led to Mangione’s arrest. —Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 7 Dec. 2025

Luigi Mangione appears for the second day of a suppression-of-evidence hearing in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. —Adam Reiss, NBC news, 2 Dec. 2025

The suppression hearings are expected to last at least the rest of this week, with a break on Wednesday. —Lorena O’Neil, Rolling Stone, 2 Dec. 2025

Many of the leaders who should be sounding alarms are eroding democracy in their own countries — from term-limit changes in Togo and Côte d’Ivoire, to brutal suppression of dissent in Tanzania and Kenya. —Tomi Oladipo, semafor.com, 1 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for suppression

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

Medical Definition

suppression

noun

sup·​pres·​sion sə-ˈpresh-ən 

: an act or instance of suppressing: as

a

: stoppage of a bodily function or a symptom

suppression of urine secretion

suppression of a cough

b

: the failure of development of a bodily part or organ

c

: the conscious intentional exclusion from consciousness of a thought or feeling compare repression sense 2a