- any self-protective physiological system or reaction of an organism
- Psychiatry any thought process, as repression, introjection, denial, displacement, or sublimation, unconsciously used by an individual as a defense against feelings of guilt, anxiety, shame, etc.
defense mechanism
defense mechanismWebster's New World College Dictionary, Fifth Edition Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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"defense mechanism." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 23 February 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/defense-mechanism>.
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defense mechanism. (n.d.). Retrieved February 23rd, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/defense-mechanism
defense mechanism
noun
- Biology A physiological reaction of an organism used in self-protection, as against infection.
- Psychology Any of various usually unconscious mental processes, including denial, projection, rationalization, and repression, that protect the ego from shame, anxiety, conflict, loss of self-esteem, or other unacceptable feelings or thoughts.
THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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MLA Style
"defense mechanism." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 23 February 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/defense-mechanism>.
APA Style
defense mechanism. (n.d.). Retrieved February 23rd, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/defense-mechanism
Noun
(plural defense mechanisms)
- (psychology) A psychological strategy used unconsciously by people to cope with harmful or stressful situations.
- (evolutionary biology) An automatic reaction of the body against foreign antibodies.
English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.
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MLA Style
"defense mechanism." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 23 February 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/defense-mechanism>.
APA Style
defense mechanism. (n.d.). Retrieved February 23rd, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/defense-mechanism
defense mechanism - Medical Definition
n.
- Psychology In psychoanalytic theory, any of various usually unconscious mental processes, including denial, projection, rationalization, and repression, that protect the ego from shame, anxiety, conflict, loss of self-esteem, or other unacceptable feelings or thoughts.
- Biology A physiological reaction of an organism used in self-protection, as against infection.
The American Heritage Dictionary of Medicine © 2018 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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Cite this page
MLA Style
"defense mechanism." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 23 February 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/defense-mechanism>.
APA Style
defense mechanism. (n.d.). Retrieved February 23rd, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/defense-mechanism
