re·press

v. re·pressed, re·press·ing, re·press·es

[Middle English repressen, from Latin reprimere, repress- : re-, re- + premere, to press; see per- in Indo-European roots.]

re·press′i·bil′i·ty n.

re·press′i·ble adj.

Usage Note: Repress and suppress have similar meanings, but there are subtle differences that are worth paying attention to. Both share the general sense of holding back or subduing something, but repress suggests keeping something under control to maintain or regulate order, while suppress suggests a more active curtailment, an active fight against an opposing force. Thus, The government repressed the rebellion implies that the government always maintained control and that the rebellious forces never posed a serious threat to governmental power before being put down, while The government suppressed the rebellion suggests that a significant rebellion was under way and that the government had to react strongly to put an end to it. Similarly, one might repress (rather than suppress) a smirk in order to maintain a serious appearance, and one would take a medicine that suppresses (rather than represses) a cough in order to reduce its severity. · Both words also see use in psychology, and here a similar distinction prevails. Repress generally means "to exclude painful or disturbing memories automatically or unconsciously from the conscious mind." Suppress means "to exclude unacceptable desires or thoughts deliberately from the mind." Using repress to express a conscious effort, as in For years he tried to repress his frightful memories, is thus incorrect.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

repress

[C14: from Latin reprimere to press back, from re- + premere to press¹]

reˈpresser n

reˈpressible adj

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

re-press

v.t., v.i.

to press again.

[1870–75]

re•press

v.t.

1. to check or inhibit (actions or desires).

2. to keep down or suppress (anything objectionable).

3. to quell (disorder, sedition, etc.).

4. to reduce (persons) to subjection.

5. to suppress (memories, emotions, or impulses) unconsciously.

6. to initiate or undergo repression.

[1325–75; Middle English < Latin repressus, past participle of reprimere=re- re- + primere to press¹]

re•press′i•ble, adj.

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

repress

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011