Oppression is the unjust use of power to keep a person or group of people down, limiting their freedom and opportunities in ways that are cruel and unfair. When one group has power over another and uses that power to control, mistreat, or deny basic rights to the less powerful group, that's oppression.

Think of it this way: if a bigger kid at school constantly takes a smaller kid's lunch money, won't let them sit at certain tables, and threatens them if they tell anyone, that bigger kid is acting like an oppressor. Now imagine that same unfairness happening not just between two kids, but as a pattern throughout a whole society, where laws, rules, and customs work together to keep certain groups from having the same opportunities as others.

Throughout history, oppression has taken many forms. Sometimes it meant certain people couldn't vote, own property, or choose where to live. Sometimes it meant they couldn't speak their own language or practice their religion freely. The oppressed are the people suffering under these unjust restrictions, while the oppressors are those using their power unfairly.

Oppressive describes systems, rules, or behaviors that oppress people. An oppressive law might be one that treats people differently based on characteristics like race or religion. When people recognize oppression, they often work together to change unfair systems and create a more just society where everyone has genuine freedom and opportunity.