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

Before joining the Administration, Rogers practiced as a First Amendment lawyer whose clients included Charlie Kirk and Douglass Mackey, an alt-right meme poster who had been convicted of voter suppression, a charge that was later overturned. —Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026

The bloody suppression of the January 2026 protests, the constraints imposed by wartime conditions and the increasing marginalization of elective institutions have all contributed to weakening the presidency. —Roxane Razavi, The Conversation, 2 Apr. 2026

But the recent aggressive suppression of digital freedoms including a major internet blackout and the throttling of a popular messaging app has led to rare calls for public display of discontent. —Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 2 Apr. 2026

Others were tested for use in appetite suppression or stimulation, wound repair, sleep regulation, anti-aging and immunity support, among other purposes. —Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026

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