escape mechanism

American

noun

Psychology.

a means of avoiding an unpleasant life situation, as daydreaming.

escape mechanism British

noun

psychol any emotional or mental mechanism that enables a person to avoid acknowledging unpleasant or threatening realities See also escapism

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of escape mechanism

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

So how do the lizards activate their escape mechanism when needed?

From Science Magazine • Feb. 16, 2022

"It's not an aggressive attack, it's an escape mechanism," explains Shears.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2015

On the private industry side of LESs, SpaceX’s Dragon capsule incorporates the rocket motors of the escape mechanism into the sides of the capsule itself, instead of mounting the LES on top.

From Time • Nov. 18, 2014

"Often, there's something in their life leading to this particular escape mechanism."

From Seattle Times • Jul. 19, 2011

Like many another adolescent in New York's restricted areas, he then achieved a vicarious escape mechanism by raising and training homing pigeons, in partner ship with his Italian neighbor, Charles Ferrara.

From Time Magazine Archive

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023