Wordwyrt

repressive

/ɹiˈpɹesɪv/ree-PREH-siv
UK form converted from the US by rule · unchecked
/ɹiˈpɹɛsɪv/ree-PREH-siv

Meaningtending to repress

Common meaning: harshly controlling

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Journey through time

  1. Latinreprimere‘press back’source
  2. Middle Englishrepressen‘restrain’source
  3. Englishrepress‘restrain or suppress’
  4. Englishformed in English from repressrepressive‘harshly controlling’ · today

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Formed in English from repress + -ive.

Dictionary: Skeat (1898), REPRESS, p.503 · scan

Source words

  • reprimere Latin · source word “press back”

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