Overlapping meaning: Repression vs. Suppression

When choosing which of these two words to use, you may have to hold back a bit or even stop what you’re doing. Read on!

Repression is a noun meaning to inhibit or to prevent an action, usually by force. People, objects and ideas both can be repressed. To wit, The gunman for years engaged in repression of his anger and The dictator actively engaged in repression of the ethnic group’s political rights.

Suppression is a noun with a similar but subtly different meaning of putting an end to an action, of blockage and stoppage. For example, The dictator achieved supreme power through suppression of the press.

Hence, a dictator may be involved in repression of the press by arresting reporters who write critical stories about him, he doesn’t shut down the news media. A dictator engaged in suppression of the press would simply shut down all news media then arrest editors and reporters alike, regardless of what they wrote.

There is some overlap in the meanings of repression and suppression, leading to confusion among writers. Suppression obviously may involve some of the activities that would occur during repression.

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My name is Rob Bignell. I’m an affordable, professional editor who runs Inventing Reality Editing Service, which meets the manuscript needs of writers both new and published. I also offer a variety of self-publishing services. During the past decade, I’ve helped more than 300 novelists and nonfiction authors obtain their publishing dreams at reasonable prices. I’m also the author of the 7 Minutes a Day… writing guidebooks, four nonfiction hiking guidebook series, and the literary novel Windmill. Several of my short stories in the literary and science fiction genres also have been published.