What does "suppress" mean?

1. (to stop by force) to end something by using force, like stopping a protest or a rebellion. 2. (to hold back feelings) to try not to show an emotion or a physical reaction, like a laugh or a cough. 3. (to hide information) to prevent information or a book from being made public. 4. (to block evidence) to legally prevent certain evidence from being used in a court case. 5. (to reduce signals) to reduce or get rid of unwanted electrical noise or frequencies. 6. (military tactics) to stop an enemy from firing or moving by shooting at them.

suppress

US //səˈpɹɛs// UK //səpɹˈɛs// sup·press

1 to stop by force (v.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

to end something by using force, like stopping a protest or a rebellion.

to put an end to an activity or organization, typically through the use of authority or physical force.

Example

The government used the army to suppress the rebellion in the northern provinces.

Example

The authoritarian regime moved quickly to suppress the uprising, deploying riot police to clear the central square before dawn.
- incite
- encourage
2 to hold back feelings (v.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

to try not to show an emotion or a physical reaction, like a laugh or a cough.

to consciously inhibit the expression of an emotion, impulse, or physiological reaction.

Example

She had to suppress a smile when she saw his ridiculous hat.

Example

During the solemn ceremony, he struggled to suppress a cough, fearing the noise would disrupt the silence of the cathedral.
- express
- release

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3 to hide information (v.)
C1 Advanced Formal

to prevent information or a book from being made public.

to prevent the publication, circulation, or disclosure of information or creative work.

Example

The company tried to suppress the report about the safety flaws in their new car.

Example

The intelligence agency attempted to suppress the leaked documents, citing national security concerns as the primary justification for the injunction.
- publish
- reveal
4 to block evidence (v.)
C1 Advanced Technical Formal Law

to legally prevent certain evidence from being used in a court case.

to exclude evidence from a trial, typically on the grounds that it was obtained illegally or is prejudicial.

Example

The lawyer filed a motion to suppress the evidence because it was found without a warrant.

Example

The defence attorney argued that the confession was coerced and moved to suppress it before the jury was empanelled.
- exclude
- block
- admit
5 to reduce signals (v.)
C2 Proficiency Technical Science

to reduce or get rid of unwanted electrical noise or frequencies.

to reduce the magnitude of a signal, frequency, or interference in an electronic system.

Example

The new headphones use technology to suppress background noise.

Example

The circuit was designed to suppress high-frequency interference that would otherwise degrade the clarity of the audio output.
- dampen
- filter
- amplify
6 military tactics (v.)
C1 Advanced Technical Military

to stop an enemy from firing or moving by shooting at them.

to prevent the enemy from performing specific tasks, such as firing or observing, through the use of overwhelming force.

Example

The soldiers fired at the building to suppress the enemy snipers.

Example

The artillery unit was ordered to suppress the enemy's defensive positions to allow the infantry to advance across the open field.
- neutralize
- pin down

Origin

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

Word family

Verbsuppress
Nounsuppression
Nounsuppressor