Using force or severe rules to control people and limit their freedoms or expressions.
From 'repress' (from Latin 'reprimere' combining 're-' and 'premere' meaning to press down). The adjective form emerged in the 18th century with political meanings.
Psychologically, repression means pushing uncomfortable thoughts deep into your unconscious mind, and politically it means forcing citizens to comply—same word, same root idea of 'pushing down' something that wants to emerge!
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