verb · B2

Oppress

uh-PRES/əˈpres/

To oppress is to treat a group cruelly or unfairly, especially with power: oppress a minority; an oppressed group. Persecute stresses targeting for identity; repress can mean hold down feelings or protest. The history paper asks who was oppressed, and by which law. Noun: oppression (already elsewhere). Mix-up: oppose is to disagree (already in the dictionary). Do not write oppress for “I opposed the plan”.

Meaning

To treat a group cruelly or unfairly, especially by using power.

Examples

“The history paper asks who was oppressed, and by which statute.”
“A tax can oppress small firms, which is the burden sense, if the source uses that verb.”

Good to know

oppress + group; an oppressed + noun. Noun: oppression. Trap: oppose. History, RS, and news. Cruel control, not mere disagreement.

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