To oppress means to treat people harshly and unfairly, especially by using power or authority to keep them down. When a government oppresses its citizens, it might prevent them from speaking freely, practicing their religion, or choosing their own leaders. When a bully oppresses younger students, they use their size or social power to control and intimidate them.

Oppression involves more than a single mean act. It's a pattern of using power to deny people their basic rights and freedoms. Throughout history, many groups have faced oppression: being denied the right to vote, being forbidden from owning property, or being forced to follow unjust rules. The American colonists believed King George III oppressed them with unfair taxes and laws, which led to the Revolutionary War.

Someone experiencing oppression is oppressed, and the person doing it is an oppressor. Fighting against oppression requires courage, because oppressors typically have more power than those they're oppressing. The opposite of oppression is freedom, where people can make choices about their own lives without unfair interference.