Definition of defence mechanism Defence mechanism
de•fence mech•an•ism
We found 1 definitions of defence mechanism from 1 different sources.
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What does defence mechanism mean?
WordNet
Noun |
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| defence mechanism - (psychiatry) an unconscious process that tries to reduce the anxiety associated with instinctive desires | ||
| defense mechanism, defense reaction, defence reaction, defense, defence | ||
| psychoanalytic process a process that is assumed to occur in psychoanalytic theory | ||
| unconscious process, process a sustained phenomenon or one marked by gradual changes through a series of states; "events now in process"; "the process of calcification begins later for boys than for girls" | ||
| psychiatry, psychological medicine, psychopathology the branch of medicine dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders | ||
| compensation something (such as money) given or received as payment or reparation (as for a service or loss or injury) | ||
| conversion a spiritual enlightenment causing a person to lead a new life | ||
| denial the act of asserting that something alleged is not true | ||
| displacement act of removing from office or employment | ||
| idealisation, idealization a portrayal of something as ideal; "the idealization of rural life was very misleading" | ||
| intellectualisation, intellectualization (psychiatry) a defense mechanism that uses reasoning to block out emotional stress and conflict | ||
| isolation the act of isolating something; setting something apart from others | ||
| projection any structure that branches out from a central support | ||
| rationalisation, rationalization the organization of a business according to scientific principles of management in order to increase efficiency | ||
| reaction formation (psychiatry) a defense mechanism in which a person unconsciously develops attitudes and behavior that are the opposite of unacceptable repressed desires and impulses and serve to conceal them; "his strict morality is just a reaction formation to hide his sexual drive" | ||
| regression returning to a former state | ||
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