oppression

B1 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /əˈpɹɛʃən/ See IPA manual

Freq #14050

Meanings

1

noun
The act of treating people cruelly and unfairly over a long time, or the state of being treated this way.

After years of oppression, the people finally revolted.
2

noun
A heavy feeling of sadness, worry, or being weighed down.

Our sense of oppression lifted when the sun reappeared.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · the act of treating people... subjugation

2 noun · a heavy feeling of sadness,... oppressiveness

Word family

Forms oppressions

Derived forms antioppressiondownpressionnonoppressionoppressionaloppressionist

Related forms oppress

Etymology

From Middle English oppression, from Old French oppression, from Latin oppressiō (“a pressing down, violence, oppression”), from opprimō; see oppress.

oppression Middle English oppressiō Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# oppression

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /əˈpɹɛʃən/
**Frequency rank:** 14050

## Meanings
1. The act of treating people cruelly and unfairly over a long time, or the state of being treated this way.
2. A heavy feeling of sadness, worry, or being weighed down.

## Examples
- After years of oppression, the people finally revolted.
- Our sense of oppression lifted when the sun reappeared.

## Derived Forms
- antioppression
- downpression
- nonoppression
- oppressional
- oppressionist

## Related Forms
- oppress

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: oppression
- Root: oppressiō

## Etymology
From Middle English oppression, from Old French oppression, from Latin oppressiō (“a pressing down, violence, oppression”), from opprimō; see oppress.

## AI Etymology
Oppression comes from Middle English oppression, from Old French oppression, from Latin oppressiō (“a pressing down, violence, oppression”), from opprimō; see oppress. Modern senses include the act of treating people cruelly and unfairly over a long time, or the state of being treated this way and a heavy feeling of sadness, worry, or being weighed down. The wider word family includes derivatives such as antioppression, downpression, nonoppression, oppressional, and oppressionist and related forms such as oppress.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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