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
This victory is an unexpected and powerful blow to the machinery of repression in the Islamic Republic.
—
Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 25 May 2025
Both movements emerged from similar circumstances and serve as reactions to censorship, repression, and the ideological constraints of the Islamic Republic.
—Ali Farahmand, IndieWire, 23 May 2025
These norms constrain separatists and deter governmental repression.
—Ryan D. Griffiths, Foreign Affairs, 20 May 2025
As a young man, Mujica had joined a Marxist urban guerrilla group known as the Tupamaros, whose campaigns were met with vicious repression by Uruguay’s military dictatorship.
—Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for repression
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Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 25 May 2025
Both movements emerged from similar circumstances and serve as reactions to censorship, repression, and the ideological constraints of the Islamic Republic.
—Ali Farahmand, IndieWire, 23 May 2025
These norms constrain separatists and deter governmental repression.
—Ryan D. Griffiths, Foreign Affairs, 20 May 2025
As a young man, Mujica had joined a Marxist urban guerrilla group known as the Tupamaros, whose campaigns were met with vicious repression by Uruguay’s military dictatorship.
—Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for repression
Cite this Entry
“Repression.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/repression. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.
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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