oppressed

adjective

op·​pressed ə-ˈprest 

: burdened by abuse of power or authority

Group identity in oppressed groups is always very strategic, always a calculation of advantage.

—Shelby Steele

They are neither oppressed minorities, whose needs have been etched into the nation's consciousness, nor members of the ruling elite, born with their hands on the reins of power.

—Anthony DeCurtis

Synonyms

• crushed
• downtrodden
• persecuted
• tyrannized

Examples of oppressed in a Sentence

setting out on a quixotic quest to right wrongs and to raise up the oppressed peoples of the world

Recent Examples on the Web

Thoughts of American battlefield heroes might conjure up images of overseas valor in service of oppressed and conquered people around the world. —Kerry J. Byrne Fox News, Fox News, 22 Sep. 2024

That is to say: There must be an obvious corollary to an actual oppressed population. —Caitlin Penzeymoog, Vox, 7 Oct. 2024

In a 1999 film adaptation, for example, Patrick Stewart plays Scrooge with Richard E. Grant as his oppressed employee Bob Cratchit. —Raechal Shewfelt, EW.com, 1 Oct. 2024

Previously, the government had reserved a certain number of jobs for minority and oppressed groups, including disabled people, women, and people from underdeveloped districts. —Tithi Bhattacharya / Made By History, TIME, 4 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing oppressed

• the oppressed