suppression
/səˈpreʃn/ (bre, ipa) · /səˈpreʃn/ (ame, ipa) · /sə-ˈpre-shən/ (ame, mw)
suppression — noun
1. the use of military force or police power to stop a protest, rebellion, or other
the use of military force or police power to stop a protest, rebellion, or other organised opposition from continuing or succeeding
The general was widely condemned for ordering the violent suppression of the student protests in the capital.
collocation: violent/boody/brutal + suppression
Following the suppression of the rebellion, the government imposed a strict curfew across the entire region.
pattern: the + suppression + of + [group]
The secretary-general of the United Nations called for an end to the suppression of peaceful assembly.
Thousands of citizens fled the city during the government's brutal suppression of the ethnic minority uprising.
- toleration
allowing opposition to exist without interference
文法句型
the + suppression + of + [group/activity]
violent/boody/brutal + suppression
用法筆記
Typically uncountable. When used with a determiner, it is almost always 'the' followed by 'of' ('the suppression of the uprising'). This sense is commonly used in political and historical reporting.
常見錯誤
2. the act of deliberately stopping information, news, opinions, or creative work f
the act of deliberately stopping information, news, opinions, or creative work from reaching the public, often by censoring or blocking it
The suppression of the journalist's article angered readers who were demanding the truth about the factory fire.
pattern: the + suppression + of + [media content]
Stephanie resigned from the board after refusing to participate in the suppression of the safety audit results.
collocation: suppression of + evidence/data/results
Activists accused the streaming platform of deliberate suppression of independent films from smaller production companies.
The court ruled that the suppression of the witness's testimony had unfairly influenced the jury.
- censorship
specifically refers to blocking media, art, or speech before publication
- cover-up
informal; suggests hiding wrongdoing or embarrassing facts
- concealment
general; can apply to hiding any information, not necessarily from the public
- disclosure
the act of making information known
文法句型
the + suppression + of + [information/media]
suppression + of + [data/news/evidence]
用法筆記
Often collocates with 'evidence', 'truth', 'news', 'information', 'data'. This sense is different from sense 1: sense 1 is about stopping action (protests, rebellions) by physical force, while sense 2 is about concealing or blocking information without necessarily using physical violence.
常見錯誤
3. the conscious act of pushing painful memories, unacceptable desires, or unwanted
the conscious act of pushing painful memories, unacceptable desires, or unwanted emotions out of one's active awareness so as not to think about them or deal with them
After years of suppressing her grief, Sofia finally broke down and agreed to see a counsellor.
pattern: suppression + of + [emotion]
The psychologist explained that the continued suppression of anger can lead to serious health problems over time.
Hari realised that his suppression of childhood memories was preventing him from forming close relationships as an adult.
Allison's therapist suggested that her suppression of anxiety was making her panic attacks worse.
- repression
the key distinction is conscious vs unconscious; repression happens automatically, suppression is deliberate
- inhibition
broader term for holding back feelings or behaviour, not specific to thoughts
- expression
allowing thoughts and feelings to be openly acknowledged
- confrontation
actively dealing with rather than avoiding
文法句型
suppression + of + [emotion/memory/thought]
emotional + suppression
thought + suppression
用法筆記
In psychology, 'suppression' differs from 'repression': suppression is a conscious, intentional act of putting a thought aside, while repression is an unconscious process where the mind automatically blocks disturbing material.