suppression
Word family
- suppressverbB2
- suppressiveadjectiveC1
- suppressornounC2
- suppressantnounC2
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
While suppression, crackdown, crushing, quashing, and repression all refer to stopping or preventing something, they differ in force, formality, and context. Suppression is the broadest term, covering political, informational, and psychological contexts. In its political sense, it emphasises the deliberate use of force to end opposition. Crackdown is more informal and sudden — it suggests a swift, aggressive response from authorities (e.g., 'a police crackdown on illegal gambling'). Crushing emphasises total, destructive defeat with no remaining resistance ('the army's crushing of the revolt'). Quashing is the most formal, often legal or judicial ('the court quashed the appeal'). Repression overlaps significantly with suppression in political contexts but often implies ongoing, systematic force over time rather than a single event. For example: 'The government's suppression of the protest was swift and violent.' 'The regime's repression of dissent lasted for decades.'
Common collocations
Etymology
From Latin 'suppressio', meaning a pressing or pushing down, formed from 'supprimere' ('sub-' meaning down + 'premere' meaning to press). The word entered English in the 15th century through Old French 'suppression'. The political meaning emerged in the 1500s, and the psychological sense developed in the late 19th century following Sigmund Freud's theories about the conscious blocking of unacceptable thoughts.