suppress

English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /səˈpɹɛs/

• Audio (US)

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• Rhymes: -ɛs
• Hyphenation: sup‧press

Verb

suppress (third-person singular simple present suppresses, present participle suppressing, simple past and past participle suppressed)

1. To put an end to, especially with force, to crush, do away with; to prohibit, subdue.

   Political dissent was brutally suppressed.

2. To restrain or repress, such as laughter or an expression.

   I struggled to suppress my smile.

3. (psychiatry) To exclude undesirable thoughts from one's mind.

   He unconsciously suppressed his memories of abuse.

4. To prevent publication.

   The government suppressed the findings of their research about the true state of the economy.

5. To stop a flow or stream.

   The rescue team managed to suppress the flow of oil by blasting the drilling hole.

   Hot blackcurrant juice mixed with honey may suppress cough.

6. (US, law) To forbid the use of evidence at trial because it is improper or was improperly obtained.
7. (electronics) To reduce unwanted frequencies in a signal.
8. (military) To stop or prevent the enemy from executing unwanted activities like firing, regrouping, observation or others.
9. (obsolete) To hold in place, to keep low.

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading

• “suppress”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “suppress”, in The Century Dictionary , New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• press-ups