penindas

Penindas is an Indonesian term that denotes an individual or group that oppresses others by exercising power, authority, or coercion. The word is used in politics, sociology, history, and human rights discourse to describe persons or entities that impose control, deny rights, or extract resources through intimidation, violence, or unfair laws.

Etymology and grammar: The term derives from the verb menindas (to oppress). Penindas is the agent noun formed with the prefix pe-, indicating the doer of an action. In usage, the form remains the same whether referring to a single oppressor or multiple ones, with context signaling number. The term carries a negative connotation and is often used critically or descriptively rather than as a neutral label.

Usage: Penindas can refer to a person, such as a political ruler, a colonial administrator, a supervisor who abuses subordinates, or an abusive partner, or to institutions and systems that sustain oppression, such as discriminatory laws, militarized policing, or exploitative economic arrangements. In historical accounts, penindas are contrasted with the oppressed, or with those who resist oppression. The related noun penindasan refers to the act or process of oppression.

See also: Oppression, Tyranny, Human rights, Resistance, Colonialism.