English dictionary

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English *noun*: defence mechanism
1.	defence mechanism (process) (psychiatry) an unconscious process that tries to reduce the anxiety associated with instinctive desires
		Synonyms	defence, defence reaction, defense, defense mechanism, defense reaction
		Broader (hypernym)	process, psychoanalytic process, unconscious process
		Narrower (hyponym)	compensation, conversion, denial, displacement, idealisation, idealization, intellectualisation, intellectualization, isolation, projection, rationalisation, rationalization, reaction formation, regression, repression
		Domain category	psychiatry, psychological medicine, psychopathology

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