1. 1. The act of oppressing; arbitrary and cruel exercise of power: "There can be no really pervasive system of oppression . . . without the consent of the oppressed" (Florynce R. Kennedy).
   2. The state of being oppressed.
2. Something that oppresses.
3. A feeling of being heavily weighed down in mind or body.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.