Other forms: suppressed, suppressing, suppresses
To suppress is to crush or hold down a feeling, a fact or a rebellion. Suppress a rising, suppress the evidence, suppress a laugh.
It covers three quite different things under one word: a state suppressing a revolt by force, an institution suppressing information, and a person suppressing a feeling. In law, suppression of evidence is a serious matter. In medicine, an immunosuppressant deliberately damps the immune system. Note suppression, suppressor; and that suppress means to hold down where repress means to push back.
1verbcrushTo crush a rising or a movement by force.
“Soldiers were sent to suppress the uprising in the capital.”
2verbsuppressTo hold down a feeling or keep back a fact.
“She suppressed a laugh when her boss tripped over the cable.”
suppress is a holding down.
Latin supprimere is sub, under, plus premere, to press. Press, express, oppress and print come from the same pressing, so to suppress is literally to press down.
Latin
suppressus
English, today
suppress
Built from
From Latin suppressus, perfect passive participle of supprimō (“press down or under”), from sub (“under”) + premō (“press”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA