Meaning & use
defensive mechanism
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountabletechnical
A way the mind or body automatically protects itself from something it finds threatening or harmful.
Grammar: Countable: you can talk about one mechanism or several mechanisms.
Patterns
- a defensive mechanism against something
- use a defensive mechanism
- a psychological defensive mechanism
Denial is a common defensive mechanism that helps people avoid painful feelings.
The body has several defensive mechanisms, such as fever, that fight infection.
Psychologists study how children develop defensive mechanisms when they feel unsafe.
nouncountablebiology
A feature or action, such as a thick shell or a warning call, that helps an animal or plant survive attack.
Grammar: Countable and usually used in the plural when talking about a species' general features.
Patterns
- evolve a defensive mechanism
- a defensive mechanism against predators
- a natural defensive mechanism
The porcupine's sharp quills are a defensive mechanism against predators.
Some plants produce bitter chemicals as a defensive mechanism against insects.
Over generations, the species evolved stronger defensive mechanisms.
Word forms
| plural | defensive mechanisms |
|---|
Common combinations
- a psychological defensive mechanism
- Repression is often described as a psychological defensive mechanism.
- a defensive mechanism against something
- Thick bark acts as a defensive mechanism against fire.
- develop a defensive mechanism
- Many animals develop a defensive mechanism when they are young.
- a natural defensive mechanism
- Sneezing is a natural defensive mechanism that clears the nose.
- rely on a defensive mechanism
- When stressed, he relies on a defensive mechanism rather than facing the problem.
Synonyms and how they differ
- defense mechanism
- The everyday form used mostly for the mind; 'defensive mechanism' is broader and more technical.
- protection
- A general word for anything that keeps you safe; it does not suggest an automatic, built-in process.
- safeguard
- Suggests a deliberate measure taken in advance, not an automatic reaction of the mind or body.
Word family
Commonly confused: defensive mechanism or defense mechanism?
defensive mechanism vs defense mechanism
This is the usual everyday phrase for the psychological sense; 'defensive mechanism' is the wider technical term covering both mind and body.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'defensive mechanism' most naturally?
Choose one answer.
'Defensive mechanism' is a noun phrase for an automatic protective process, so 'Sweating is a natural defensive mechanism' fits. Option 2 wrongly uses it as a reply, option 3 as a verb, and option 4 uses it for a sports tactic, where 'defense' would be the right word.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “defensive mechanism”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.