late 14c., noun of action from repress (v.), or else from Medieval Latin repressionem (nominative repressio), noun of action from past participle stem of Latin reprimere. Psychological sense is from 1908; biochemical sense is from 1957.
the long repression of Christian sects
his goal was the repression of insolence
representation
representational
representative
repress
repressed
repression
repressive
reprieve
reprimand
reprint
reprisal