defense mechanism

n.1. Biology A physiological reaction of an organism used in self-protection, as against infection.2. 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.

defense′ mech`anism

n. an unconscious process that protects an individual from unacceptable or painful ideas or impulses. [1890–95]

Thesaurus

Noun

defense mechanism - (psychiatry) an unconscious process that tries to reduce the anxiety associated with instinctive desiresdefence, defence mechanism, defence reaction, defense reaction, defenseunconscious process, process - a mental process that you are not directly aware of; "the process of denial"psychiatry, psychological medicine, psychopathology - the branch of medicine dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorderscompensation - (psychiatry) a defense mechanism that conceals your undesirable shortcomings by exaggerating desirable behaviorsconversion - (psychiatry) a defense mechanism represses emotional conflicts which are then converted into physical symptoms that have no organic basisdenial - (psychiatry) a defense mechanism that denies painful thoughtsdisplacement - (psychiatry) a defense mechanism that transfers affect or reaction from the original object to some more acceptable oneidealisation, idealization - (psychiatry) a defense mechanism that splits something you are ambivalent about into two representations--one good and one badintellectualisation, intellectualization - (psychiatry) a defense mechanism that uses reasoning to block out emotional stress and conflictisolation - (psychiatry) a defense mechanism in which memory of an unacceptable act or impulse is separated from the emotion originally associated with itprojection - (psychiatry) a defense mechanism by which your own traits and emotions are attributed to someone elsepsychoanalytic process - a process that is assumed to occur in psychoanalytic theoryrationalisation, rationalization - (psychiatry) a defense mechanism by which your true motivation is concealed by explaining your actions and feelings in a way that is not threateningreaction 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 - (psychiatry) a defense mechanism in which you flee from reality by assuming a more infantile staterepression - (psychiatry) the classical defense mechanism that protects you from impulses or ideas that would cause anxiety by preventing them from becoming conscious

defense mechanism

defense mechanism,

in psychoanalysis, any of a variety of unconscious personality reactions which the ego uses to protect the conscious mind from threatening feelings and perceptions. Sigmund FreudFreud, Sigmund
, 1856–1939, Austrian psychiatrist, founder of psychoanalysis. Born in Moravia, he lived most of his life in Vienna, receiving his medical degree from the Univ. of Vienna in 1881.

His medical career began with an apprenticeship (1885–86) under J.
..... Click the link for more information. first used defense as a psychoanalytic term (1894), but he did not break the notion into categories, viewing it as a singular phenomenon of repression. His daughter, Anna FreudFreud, Anna
, 1895–1982, British psychoanalyst, b. Vienna, Austria. Continuing the work of her father, Sigmund Freud, she was a pioneer in the psychoanalysis of children.
..... Click the link for more information. , expanded on his theories in the 1930s, distinguishing some of the major defense mechanisms recognized today. Primary defense mechanisms include repression and denialdenial,
in psychology, an ego defense mechanism that operates unconsciously to resolve emotional conflict, and to allay anxiety by refusing to perceive the more unpleasant aspects of external reality.
..... Click the link for more information. , which serve to prevent unacceptable ideas or impulses from entering the conscience. Secondary defense mechanisms—generally appearing as an outgrowth of the primary defense mechanisms—include projection, reaction formation, displacement, sublimation, and isolation.

defense mechanism

[di′fens ‚mek·ə‚niz·əm] (psychology) Any psychic device, such as rationalization, denial, or repression, for concealing unacceptable feelings or for protecting oneself against unpleasant feelings, memories, or experiences.

defense mechanism

defense

[de-fens´] behavior directed to protection of the individual from injury.character defense any character trait, e.g., a mannerism, attitude, or affectation, which serves as a defense mechanism.insanity defense a legal concept that a person cannot be convicted of a crime if he lacked criminal responsibility by reason of insanity at the time of commission of the crime.defense mechanism in psychology, an unconscious mental process or coping pattern that lessens the anxiety associated with a situation or internal conflict and protects the person from mental discomfort. In the theory of psychoanalysis, the ego, following the reality principle, conforms to the demands of the outside world, but the id (repressed unconscious), following the pleasure principle, pursues immediate gratification of desires and reduction of psychic tension. The superego (conscience or morality) may take either side. Defense mechanisms develop in order to control impulses or feelings that lead to inner conflicts, to reach compromises between conflicting impulses, and to reduce inner tensions. They help to manage or avoid anxiety, aggression, hostility, resentment, and frustration. Defense mechanisms are not pathological in themselves; they can be a means of dealing with unbearable situations. Among the most common defense mechanisms are denial, displacement, identification, projection, rationalization, reaction-formation, repression, and sublimation.defense reaction a mental reaction that shuts out from consciousness ideas not acceptable to the ego. See also defense mechanism.

mechanism

[mek´ah-nizm] 1. a machine or machinelike structure.2. the manner of combination of parts, processes, or other aspects that carry out a common function.3. the theory that the phenomena of life are based on the same physical and chemical laws that govern inorganic matter, as opposed to vitalism.coping m's conscious or unconscious strategies or mechanisms that a person uses to cope with stress or anxiety including turning to a comforting person for love and support, self-discipline, acting out or working off tension, talking and expressing feelings by crying or laughing, and also unconscious defense mechanisms, such as avoidance and rationalization.defense mechanism see defense mechanism.

de·fense mech·a·nism

1. a psychological means of coping with conflict or anxiety, for example, conversion, denial, dissociation, rationalization, repression, sublimation; 2. the psychic structure underlying a coping strategy; 3. immunologic mechanism vs. nonspecific defense mechanism.

defense mechanism

Psychology An unconscious intrapsychic process by which a person obtains relief from emotional confllict and anxiety Examples Compensation, conversion, denial, displacement, dissociation, idealization, identification, incorporation, introjection, projection, rationalization, reaction formation, regression, sublimation, substitution, symbolization, undoing. See Defense mechanism.

de·fense mech·a·nism

(dĕ-fens' mek'ă-nizm) 1. A psychological means of coping with conflict or anxiety (e.g., conversion, denial, dissociation, rationalization, repression, sublimation). 2. The psychic structure underlying a coping strategy. 3. Immunologic mechanism versus nonspecific defense mechanism.
Synonym(s): defence mechanism.

de·fense mech·a·nism

(dĕ-fens' mek'ă-nizm) 1. Psychological means of coping with conflict or anxiety, e.g., conversion, denial, dissociation, rationalization, repression, sublimation. 2. Immunologic mechanism vs. nonspecific defense mechanism.

defense mechanism

noun

Synonyms for defense mechanism

noun (psychiatry) an unconscious process that tries to reduce the anxiety associated with instinctive desires

Synonyms

defence
defence mechanism
defence reaction
defense reaction
defense

Related Words

unconscious process
process
psychiatry
psychological medicine
psychopathology
compensation
conversion
denial
displacement
idealisation
idealization
intellectualisation
intellectualization
isolation
projection
psychoanalytic process
rationalisation
rationalization
reaction formation
regression
repression