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.

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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

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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

In that case, we later learned, the department wouldn’t be involved because state law doesn’t include any mechanism for oversight.

From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026

He lay in a prone position, arms extended, body ensconced in gold and green lowrider armature, adhered to a blue bike frame, rocking on a 25-cent mechanical ride mechanism.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026

“Whatever the mechanism, real rates are very high. At some point that is simply the clearing price for fiscally dominant economies trying to attract enough private capital to fund enormous sovereign borrowing,” he says.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026

The researchers also uncovered evidence of a biological mechanism that could help explain the association.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 27, 2026

The housing code was rarely enforced, and its most important mechanism, the power of the city to correct code violations and bill landlords, was not once exercised by the city council, which oversaw housing issues.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

The Citizenship by Investment Program announced by the government on Friday to coincide with Argentina Week in Paris proposes two "simple and transparent mechanisms" for obtaining an Argentine passport.

From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026

The United Nations Command, which conducted the on-site investigations into the blasts with the South Korean military, said it would handle the violation of the 1953 armistice "through established Armistice mechanisms".

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

That could make it possible to target mechanisms that are easier to reach and better understood.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 28, 2026

But recent disappointments in Alzheimer’s research, including hyped medicines based on a shaky hypothesis, have drawn more attention to their work on the brain-destroying mechanisms of FTD and how these might be halted.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026

It is autodestruction due to lytic mechanisms entirely under the governance of the smaller partner.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas

Related Words

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