Suppress

How to spell suppress

8 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce suppress

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does suppress mean?

1. verbTo put an end to something forcibly, or to prevent it from being expressed, published, or released.

Suppress in a sentence

• The government tried to suppress the report before the election.

• She had to suppress a laugh during the solemn meeting.

Where does suppress come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word descends from the Latin verb supprimere, which meant to press down or hold back, formed from sub, meaning under, and premere, meaning to press. When the prefix sub met the p of premere, the b assimilated into a second p, which is exactly why the modern spelling carries a doubled p that catches so many writers out. The past participle suppressus gave English its stem, and the word arrived in the 1400s, first in the sense of putting down a rebellion or quelling something by force. Over time it broadened to cover keeping feelings, information, or physical responses from being expressed or released. The same premere root sits inside everyday relatives such as press, compress, and express, all sharing that core idea of pushing.

How the word is built

• sup- (under, assimilated form of sub-)
• press (from Latin premere, to press)