defense mechanism

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.

defense mechanism

1. 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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of defense mechanism¹

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

A stingray’s defense mechanism is to camouflage itself on top of the ocean floor’s sand or buried under it.

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It was a defense mechanism, I guess, as much as a way of connecting with them.

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“I fell in love with his past but also his soul and the way he protects himself with the humor he uses as a defense mechanism,” Dager said.

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“It was a defense mechanism because of my past history.”

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Maybe that’s shock or some sort defense mechanism, or shutting down.

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