The repressive Hypothesis REPRESSIVE, adjective; repression noun, from the verb to repress": 1 to subdue someone or something by force 2) to restrain or prevent (the expression of a feeling);3 )to suppress (a thought, feeling or desire in oneself so that it becomes or remains unconscious; 4) to inhibit the natural development or self-expression of someone or something; from Latin repress- pressed back, checked, from the verb reprimere, from re- back+ premere to press CONTRAST: EXPRESSION TO EXPRESS HYPOTHESIS: a supposition or proposed explanation made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting point for further investigation from late Latin and, earlier, from Greek hupothesis foundation, from hupo under+ thesis placingThe Repressive Hypothesis • REPRESSIVE, adjective; “repression,” noun, from the verb “to repress”: 1) to subdue someone or something by force 2) to restrain or prevent (the expression of a feeling); 3) to suppress (a thought, feeling, or desire) in oneself so that it becomes or remains unconscious; 4) to inhibit the natural development or self-expression of someone or something; from Latin repress- ‘pressed back, checked,’ from the verb reprimere, from re- ‘back’ + premere ‘to press • CONTRAST: EXPRESSION, TO EXPRESS • HYPOTHESIS: a supposition or proposed explanation made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting point for further investigation; from late Latin and, earlier, from Greek hupothesis ‘foundation,’ from hupo ‘under’ + thesis ‘placing.’