defence mechanism

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defence mechanism

1. (Psychoanalysis) psychoanal a usually unconscious mental process designed to reduce the anxiety, shame, etc, associated with instinctive desires

2. (Physiology) physiol the protective response of the body against disease organisms

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

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Noun

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

defence, defence reaction, defense mechanism, defense reaction, defense

unconscious 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 disorders

compensation - (psychiatry) a defense mechanism that conceals your undesirable shortcomings by exaggerating desirable behaviors

conversion - (psychiatry) a defense mechanism represses emotional conflicts which are then converted into physical symptoms that have no organic basis

denial - (psychiatry) a defense mechanism that denies painful thoughts

displacement - (psychiatry) a defense mechanism that transfers affect or reaction from the original object to some more acceptable one

idealisation, idealization - (psychiatry) a defense mechanism that splits something you are ambivalent about into two representations--one good and one bad

intellectualisation, intellectualization - (psychiatry) a defense mechanism that uses reasoning to block out emotional stress and conflict

isolation - (psychiatry) a defense mechanism in which memory of an unacceptable act or impulse is separated from the emotion originally associated with it

projection - (psychiatry) a defense mechanism by which your own traits and emotions are attributed to someone else

psychoanalytic process - a process that is assumed to occur in psychoanalytic theory

rationalisation, rationalization - (psychiatry) a defense mechanism by which your true motivation is concealed by explaining your actions and feelings in a way that is not threatening

reaction 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 state

repression - (psychiatry) the classical defense mechanism that protects you from impulses or ideas that would cause anxiety by preventing them from becoming conscious

Translations

defence mechanism

n (Psych) → meccanismo di difesa

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

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It's such a patronising defence mechanism it actually detracts from what they're trying to say.

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It's my way to protect myself, because I happen to be in the newspaper more often than not." Looks like Piggy Chops has her own special defence mechanism in place!

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The Scottish singer, who shot to fame after appearing on the ITV1 reality show, admitted she had a bad temper but said it was a "defence mechanism" to deal with her sudden success.

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On further investigation it was found he had tiny hairs at different depths with his cornea as the result of the spider's defence mechanism.

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* Chew sugar free gum: This increases the flow of saliva which is your mouth's natural defence mechanism. Saliva will neutralise plaque acids, restoring the mouth to its natural balance.