mechanism

American  

[mek-uh-niz-uhm] / ˈmɛk əˌnɪz əm /

noun

• mechanisms
  plural

1. an assembly of moving parts performing a complete functional motion, often being part of a large machine; linkage.

2. the agency or means by which an effect is produced or a purpose is accomplished.

3. machinery or mechanical appliances in general.

4. the structure or arrangement of parts of a machine or similar device, or of anything analogous.

5. the mechanical part of something; any mechanical device.

   the mechanism of a clock.

6. routine methods or procedures; mechanics.

   the mechanism of government.

7. mechanical execution, as in painting or music; technique.

8. the theory that everything in the universe is produced by matter in motion; materialism.

9. Philosophy.

   1. the view that all natural processes are explicable in terms of classical mechanics.

   2. the view that all biological processes may be described in physicochemical terms.

10. Psychoanalysis. the habitual operation and interaction of psychological forces within an individual that assist in interpreting or dealing with the physical or psychological environment.

---

mechanism British  

/ ˈmɛkəˌnɪzəm /

noun

1. a system or structure of moving parts that performs some function, esp in a machine

2. something resembling a machine in the arrangement and working of its parts

   the mechanism of the ear

3. any form of mechanical device or any part of such a device

4. a process or technique, esp of execution

   the mechanism of novel writing

5. philosophy

   1. the doctrine that human action can be explained in purely physical terms, whether mechanical or biological

   2. the explanation of phenomena in causal rather than teleological or essentialist terms

   3. the view that the task of science is to seek such explanations

   4. strict determinism Compare dynamism vitalism

6. psychoanal

   1. the ways in which psychological forces interact and operate

   2. a structure having an influence on the behaviour of a person, such as a defence mechanism

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• antimechanism
  noun
• mechanismic
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• mechanisms
  plural

Etymology

Origin of mechanism

First recorded in 1655–65; from New Latin mēchanismus; Late Latin mēchanisma “contrivance,” from Greek mēchan(ḗ) machine + New Latin -ismus, Late Latin -isma -ism

Explanation

Use the word mechanism to describe a process that has been set up to accomplish a particular goal. If you’ve set up a method for dealing with your sister when she annoys you, then you have a mechanism in place for establishing peace with your sister. The word mechanism came into the English language in the seventeenth century by way of the Latin word mechanismus, which traces back to the Greek word mekhane, meaning “device" or "means.” Mechanism still carries with it the meaning of “device” and can be used to describe a machine, but nowadays you are more likely to hear it used to describe a process for getting something done, such as "a mechanism for generating revenue" or "a crisis-resolution mechanism."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mechanism mechanisms

“It’s the same mechanism as 2022: energy shock, excessive valuations, central-bank tightening globally, and then we’ll actually have a fiscal drag,” he told the podcast.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 24, 2026

That’s another mechanism, but again, it’s very case-specific.

From Slate ● Sep. 24, 2026

Many shippers book slots to transit the canal months in advance, using a reservation mechanism that accounts for 90% of total traffic through the complex freshwater system of locks and artificial lakes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

By Sunday morning, the team was testing the WFI's focusing mechanism.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 21, 2026

Evolution and adaptation were bundled together into one continuous mechanism: adaptation was evolution.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

It’s sometimes a combination of trying all of these different roundabout mechanisms to try to confirm that these folks were, in fact, still in detention and where I left them, more or less.

From Slate ● Sep. 24, 2026

Tad Devine, who served as a top strategist for mainstream Democrats for decades before joining Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential bid, knows the mechanisms inside and out.

From Salon ● Sep. 22, 2026

Polymarket’s chief competitor, Kalshi, doesn’t, though that company inspects funds withdrawn to different payment mechanisms and freezes suspicious payments, a person familiar with that company’s protocols said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026

The experiments were conducted in fruit flies, so additional research will be needed to determine how closely the same mechanisms operate in people.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026

“We never used to need these things,” Miig commented as we wound the mechanisms and checked they were synchronized.

From "The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline

Related Words

• agency
• operation
• procedure
• process
• system
• technique