defense mechanism

See synonyms for defense mechanism on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. Physiology. the defensive reaction of an organism, as against a pathogenic microorganism.

  2. Psychology. an unconscious process, as denial, that protects an individual from unacceptable or painful ideas or impulses.

Origin of defense mechanism

1
First recorded in 1890–95

Words Nearby defense mechanism

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use defense mechanism in a sentence

Cultural definitions for defense mechanism

defense mechanism

In psychology, a Freudian term referring to an unconscious avoidance of something that produces anxiety or some other unpleasant emotion. For example, someone who blots out the memory of a terrible accident is using a defense mechanism. Regression and sublimation are common defense mechanisms.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.