oppress

Where does the word "oppress" come from? It comes from Latin oppressus, and was adopted directly into English (1300s).

Oppress’s story begins in Latin: oppressus meant “pressed against, weighed down.” Pressed against, weighed down, from ob- (against) and premere (to press). It reached English by 1300s as oppress. Settled as the English word for keeping someone down through unjust force. Today, oppress means to keep someone in subjection through unjust use of force or authority.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient oppressus "pressed against, weighed down", pressed against, weighed down, from ob- (against) and premere (to press).
2. Stage 2 · English · 1300s oppress "to keep someone down through unjust force", settled as the English word for keeping someone down through unjust force.