WordGarden.iosuppression
B2Pronunciation
UK
- /səprˈɛʃən/
US
- /səˈprɛʃən/
Meanings
Noun
the act or effect of stopping, reducing, or holding something back
institutional or state control that keeps dissent, protest, or information from being expressed or spreading
the conscious holding back or pushing aside of a thought, feeling, memory, or impulse
More meaningsFewer meanings
the medical reduction or blocking of a bodily function, symptom, or immune response, often as treatment
the technical reduction or blocking of a signal, reaction, gene, or other process
Beyond the definition
Suppression isn't just about keeping something down—it's about actively putting pressure on it to prevent it from happening or being expressed. Think of a garden where weeds are constantly popping up. You can ignore them, but suppression means you deliberately pull them out before they take root.
Historically, "suppression" comes from the Latin word meaning "to press down." This idea of forceful restraint is key. A government might suppress dissent (opinions that disagree with it), a doctor might prescribe medication to suppress a cough, or someone might suppress their anger to avoid an argument. It's not just having feelings; it's actively working to keep them hidden or controlled. Sometimes suppression can be harmful—like when people suppress their emotions for too long.
Suppression refers to the act of forcibly putting an end to something, holding it back, or preventing its expression. It implies a deliberate effort to restrain or subdue, often through authority or power. For example: "The dictator's regime was known for suppressing political opposition," meaning they actively silenced and punished anyone who disagreed with them.
Suppression can apply to many different things: emotions, ideas, rebellions, or even physical symptoms. You might suppress a yawn during an important meeting, suppress your desire for another slice of cake, or a doctor might use medication to suppress inflammation in the body.
It's important to distinguish suppression from simple absence. Something that doesn't exist hasn't been suppressed; it just isn't there. Suppression implies that something could appear, happen, or be expressed, but is being actively held back. For example, a person may suppress a sneeze, while a person who simply does not need to sneeze is not suppressing anything.
The word also has psychological implications. Suppressing emotions can be unhealthy in the long run, as those feelings may manifest in other ways. However, sometimes temporary suppression—like taking a deep breath to calm down before responding to a frustrating situation—can be a helpful coping mechanism.
Whether it's a government controlling its citizens, a person managing their feelings, or a medical treatment reducing symptoms, suppression is about actively holding something back—often with force and intention.
Examples
- 1
Peaceful protests
Human rights groups condemned the suppression of peaceful protests.
- 2
Legal evidence
The defense argued that the case involved the suppression of key evidence.
- Domainsuppression of evidence
hiding or keeping evidence from being used
- 3
Feelings
Years of emotional suppression made it hard for him to talk openly about his feelings.
- Phraseemotional suppression
the habit of not showing or expressing feelings
- 4
Psychology
Some psychologists say that thought suppression can make unwanted thoughts come back even more strongly.
- Domainthought suppression
trying not to think about something
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Fire safety
The new office building has an automatic fire suppression system.
- Domainfire suppression system
equipment that controls or puts out fires
See also
Similar
Shades of meaning
Contrast
Do not confuse
Used with (collocations)
- suppression of evidence
- voter suppression
- immune suppression
- fire suppression
Word family
Explore
- control
- cover-up
Forms and spellings
2 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- suppressionnoun
Forms
- suppressionspluralnoun