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defense mechanism

de·fense mech·an·ism
D d

Transcription

    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • UK Pronunciation
    • UK IPA
    • [dih-fens or especially for 7, 9, dee-fens mek-uh-niz-uh m]
    • /dɪˈfɛns or especially for 7, 9, ˈdi fɛns ˈmɛk əˌnɪz əm/
    • /dɪˈfens ˈmek.ə.nɪ.zəm/
    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [dih-fens or especially for 7, 9, dee-fens mek-uh-niz-uh m]
    • /dɪˈfɛns or especially for 7, 9, ˈdi fɛns ˈmɛk əˌnɪz əm/

Definitions of defense mechanism words

  • countable noun defense mechanism A defense mechanism is a way of behaving or thinking which is not conscious or deliberate and is an automatic reaction to unpleasant experiences or feelings such as anxiety and fear. 3
  • noun defense mechanism any self-protective physiological system or reaction of an organism 3
  • noun defense mechanism any thought process, as repression, introjection, or sublimation, unconsciously used by an individual as a defense against feelings of guilt, anxiety, shame, etc. 3
  • noun defense mechanism Physiology. the defensive reaction of an organism, as against a pathogenic microorganism. 1
  • noun defense mechanism Psychology. an unconscious process, as denial, that protects an individual from unacceptable or painful ideas or impulses. 1
  • noun defense mechanism (psychology) A psychological strategy used unconsciously by people to cope with harmful or stressful situations. 0
See all 7 definitions of defense mechanism

Information block about the term

Origin of defense mechanism

First appearance:

before 1890
One of the 20% newest English words
First recorded in 1890-95

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Defense mechanism

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Full grammatical hierarchy of Defense mechanism

defense mechanism popularity

This term is known only to a narrow circle of people with rare knowledge. Only 2% of English native speakers know the meaning of this word.
According to our data most of word are more popular. This word is almost not used. It has a much more popular synonym.

defense mechanism usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for defense mechanism

noun defense mechanism

  • conversion — Conversion is the act or process of changing something into a different state or form.
  • defense — the act or power of defending, or guarding against attack, harm, or danger
  • repression — the act of repressing; state of being repressed.
  • suppression — the act of suppressing.
  • sublimation — Psychology. the diversion of the energy of a sexual or other biological impulse from its immediate goal to one of a more acceptable social, moral, or aesthetic nature or use.
All 6 Synonyms of defense mechanism

See also

Matching words

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