Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • transitive verb To put an end to forcibly; subdue.
  • transitive verb To curtail or prohibit the activities of.
  • transitive verb To keep from being revealed, published, or circulated.
  • transitive verb To deliberately exclude (unacceptable desires or thoughts) from the mind.
  • transitive verb To inhibit the expression of.
  • transitive verb To restrain the growth, activity, or release of.
  • transitive verb To inhibit the expression of (a gene).

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To overpower; subdue; put down; quell; crush; stamp out.
  • To restrain from utterance or vent; keep in; repress: as, to suppress a groan.
  • To withhold from disclosure; conceal; refuse or forbear to reveal; withhold from publication; withdraw from circulation, or prohibit circulation of: as, to suppress evidence; to suppress a letter; to suppress an article or a poem.
  • To hinder from passage or circulation; stop; stifle; smother.
  • To stop by remedial means; check; restrain: as, to suppress a diarrhea or a hemorrhage.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To overpower and crush; to subdue; to put down; to quell.
  • transitive verb To keep in; to restrain from utterance or vent.
  • transitive verb To retain without disclosure; to conceal; not to reveal; to prevent publication of.
  • transitive verb To stop; to restrain; to arrest the discharges of.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb To hold in place, to keep low, to prevent publication.
  • verb US, law To forbid the use of evidence at trial because it is improper or was improperly obtained.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb put out of one's consciousness
  • verb reduce the incidence or severity of or stop
  • verb come down on or keep down by unjust use of one's authority
  • verb control and refrain from showing; of emotions, desires, impulses, or behavior
  • verb to put down by force or authority

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English suppressen, from Latin supprimere, suppress- : sub-, sub- + premere, to press; see per- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin suppressus, perfect passive participle of supprimō ("press down or under"), from sub ("under") + premō ("press").

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word suppress.

Examples

  • However, when governments spit on human rights, posting what they wish to suppress is one way humans can protest.

    Boing Boing: July 10, 2005 - July 16, 2005 Archives 2005

  • I don't want to use the word suppress, because he was in my thoughts and I was dealing with it daily, but as powerful a moment as it was to lose your father when he was so young, nevertheless, I did suppress it.

    MVN 2009

  • I don't want to use the word suppress, because he was in my thoughts and I was dealing with it on a daily basis.

    unknown title 2009

  • I don't want to use the word suppress, because he was in my thoughts and I was dealing with it daily, but as powerful a moment as it was to lose your father when he was so young, nevertheless, I did suppress it.

    MVN 2009

  • I don't want to use the word suppress, because he was in my thoughts and I was dealing with it daily, but as powerful a moment as it was to lose your father when he was so young, nevertheless, I did suppress it.

    MVN 2009

  • I don't want to use the word suppress, because he was in my thoughts and I was dealing with it daily, but as powerful a moment as it was to lose your father when he was so young, nevertheless, I did suppress it.

    MVN 2009

  • I don't want to use the word suppress, because he was in my thoughts and I was dealing with it daily, but as powerful a moment as it was to lose your father when he was so young, nevertheless, I did suppress it.

    MVN 2009

  • I don't want to use the word suppress, because he was in my thoughts and I was dealing with it daily, but as powerful a moment as it was to lose your father when he was so young, nevertheless, I did suppress it.

    MVN 2009

  • I don't want to use the word suppress, because he was in my thoughts and I was dealing with it daily, but as powerful a moment as it was to lose your father when he was so young, nevertheless, I did suppress it.

    MVN 2009

  • World Health Organization civil union diana bryant right fires freedom of speech lie detector muslim news.com news.com.au nrl on-air lie detector segment peter gregory radio stunt sport word suppress

    Matriarchy: A way of peace 2009

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.