mechanism - Wordage.info - Free Thesaurus Tool for Word Discovery - Expanded Thesaurus, Reverse Dictionary Lookup

mechanism: the technical aspects of doing something; "a mechanism of social control"; "mechanisms of communication"; "the mechanics of prose style"; device consisting of a piece of machinery; has moving parts that perform some function; (philosophy) the philosophical theory that all phenomena can be explained in terms of physical or biological causes; a natural object resembling a machine in structure or function; "the mechanism of the ear"; "the mechanism of infection"; the atomic process that occurs during a chemical reaction; "he determined unique mechanisms for the photochemical reactions"

overcompensation collapse: excessive compensation; (psychiatry) an attempt to overcome a real or imagined defect or unwanted trait by overly exaggerating its opposite

self-preservation collapse: preservation of yourself from harm; a natural or instinctive tendency

sublimation collapse: (psychology) modifying the natural expression of an impulse or instinct (especially a sexual one) to one that is socially acceptable; (chemistry) a change directly from the solid to the gaseous state without becoming liquid

defense mechanism collapse: (psychiatry) an unconscious process that tries to reduce the anxiety associated with instinctive desires

substitution collapse: the act of putting one thing or person in the place of another: "he sent Smith in for Jones but the substitution came too late to help"; an event in which one thing is substituted for another; "the replacement of lost blood by a transfusion of donor blood"

dissociation collapse: the act of removing from association; (chemistry) the temporary or reversible process in which a molecule or ion is broken down into smaller molecules or ions; a state in which some integrated part of a person's life becomes separated from the rest of the personality and functions independently

instrumentality collapse: an artifact (or system of artifacts) that is instrumental in accomplishing some end; the quality of being instrumental for some purpose; a subsidiary organ of government created for a special purpose; "are the judicial instrumentalities of local governments adequate?"; "he studied the French instrumentalities for law enforcement"

wishful thinking collapse: the illusion that what you wish for is actually true

displacement collapse: act of removing from office or employment; to move something from its natural environment; (psychiatry) a defense mechanism that transfers affect or reaction from the original object to some more acceptable one; (chemistry) a reaction in which an elementary substance displaces and sets free a constituent element from a compound

mediation collapse: the act of intervening for the purpose of bringing about a settlement; negotiation to resolve differences conducted by some impartial party

compensation collapse: something (such as money) given or received as payment or reparation (as for a service or loss or injury); (psychiatry) a defense mechanism that conceals your undesirable shortcomings by exaggerating desirable behaviors

isolation collapse: the act of isolating something; setting something apart from others; a country's withdrawal from international politics; "he opposed a policy of American isolation"; a feeling of being disliked and alone; (psychiatry) a defense mechanism in which memory of an unacceptable act or impulse is separated from the emotion originally associated with it; a state of separation between persons or groups

atomism collapse: (chemistry) any theory in which all matter is composed of tiny discrete finite indivisible indestructible particles; "the ancient Greek philosophers Democritus and Epicurus held atomic theories of the universe"; (psychology) a theory that reduces all mental phenomena to simple elements (sensations and feelings) that form complex ideas by association

rationalization collapse: the organization of a business according to scientific principles of management in order to increase efficiency; (mathematics) the simplification of an expression or equation by eliminating radicals without changing the value of the expression or the roots of the equation; the cognitive process of making something seem consistent with or based on reason; (psychiatry) a defense mechanism by which your true motivation is concealed by explaining your actions and feelings in a way that is not threatening

autism collapse: (psychiatry) an abnormal absorption with the self; marked by communication disorders and short attention span and inability to treat others as people

duodenum collapse: the part of the small intestine between the stomach and the jejunum

rectum collapse: the terminal section of the alimentary canal; from the sigmoid flexure to the anus

works collapse: performance of moral or religious acts; "salvation by deeds"; "the reward for good works"; the internal mechanism of a device

recourse collapse: act of turning to for assistance; "have recourse to the courts"; "an appeal to his uncle was his last resort"; something or someone turned to for assistance or security; "his only recourse was the police"; "took refuge in lying"

lung collapse: either of two saclike respiratory organs in the chest of vertebrates; serves to remove carbon dioxide and provide oxygen to the blood

dialectical materialism collapse: the materialistic philosophy of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels

technology collapse: the practical application of science to commerce or industry

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