
v., -pressed, -press·ing, -press·es. v.tr.
- To hold back by an act of volition: couldn't repress a smirk.
- To put down by force, usually before total control has been lost; quell: repress a rebellion.
- Psychology. To exclude (painful or disturbing memories, for example) automatically or unconsciously from the conscious mind.
- Biology. To block (transcription of a gene) by combination of a protein to an operator gene.
To take repressive action.
[Middle English repressen, from Latin reprimere, repress- : re-, re- + premere, to press.]
repressibility re·press'i·bil'i·ty n.repressible re·press'i·ble adj.








