| defence | | |
| n. (process) | 1. defence, defence mechanism, defence reaction, defense, defense mechanism, defense reaction | (psychiatry) an unconscious process that tries to reduce the anxiety associated with instinctive desires. |
| ~ 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. |
| n. (group) | 2. defence, defending team, defense | (sports) the team that is trying to prevent the other team from scoring.; "his teams are always good on defense" |
| ~ athletics, sport | an active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition. |
| ~ team, squad | a cooperative unit (especially in sports). |
| n. (group) | 3. defence, defense, defense lawyers, defense team | the defendant and his legal advisors collectively.; "the defense called for a mistrial" |
| ~ aggregation, collection, accumulation, assemblage | several things grouped together or considered as a whole. |
| n. (group) | 4. defence, defence force, defense, defense force | an organization of defenders that provides resistance against attack.; "he joined the defense against invasion" |
| ~ organization, organisation | a group of people who work together. |
| ~ bastion | a group that defends a principle.; "a bastion against corruption"; "the last bastion of communism" |
| n. (communication) | 5. defence, defense, refutation | the speech act of answering an attack on your assertions.; "his refutation of the charges was short and persuasive"; "in defense he said the other man started it" |
| ~ answer | the speech act of replying to a question. |
| ~ confutation | the speech act of refuting conclusively. |
| ~ rebuttal | the speech act of refuting by offering a contrary contention or argument. |
| n. (communication) | 6. defence, defense, vindication | the justification for some act or belief.; "he offered a persuasive defense of the theory" |
| ~ justification | a statement in explanation of some action or belief. |
| ~ apologia, apology | a formal written defense of something you believe in strongly. |
| ~ alibi | (law) a defense by an accused person purporting to show that he or she could not have committed the crime in question. |
| ~ exculpation, excuse, self-justification, alibi | a defense of some offensive behavior or some failure to keep a promise etc..; "he kept finding excuses to stay"; "every day he had a new alibi for not getting a job"; "his transparent self-justification was unacceptable" |
| n. (artifact) | 7. defence, defense, defensive structure | a structure used to defend against attack.; "the artillery battered down the defenses" |
| ~ cheval-de-frise, chevaux-de-frise | defensive structure consisting of a movable obstacle composed of barbed wire or spikes attached to a wooden frame; used to obstruct cavalry. |
| ~ fortification, munition | defensive structure consisting of walls or mounds built around a stronghold to strengthen it. |
| ~ fortress, fort | a fortified defensive structure. |
| ~ line of defence, line of defense | defensive structure consisting of a barrier that can be employed for defense against attack. |
| ~ outwork | subsidiary defensive structure lying outside the main fortified area.; "the outworks of the castle" |
| ~ stronghold, fastness | a strongly fortified defensive structure. |
| ~ structure, construction | a thing constructed; a complex entity constructed of many parts.; "the structure consisted of a series of arches"; "she wore her hair in an amazing construction of whirls and ribbons" |
| n. (act) | 8. defence, defense, demurrer, denial | a defendant's answer or plea denying the truth of the charges against him.; "he gave evidence for the defense" |
| ~ due process, due process of law | (law) the administration of justice according to established rules and principles; based on the principle that a person cannot be deprived of life or liberty or property without appropriate legal procedures and safeguards. |
| ~ trial | (law) the determination of a person's innocence or guilt by due process of law.; "he had a fair trial and the jury found him guilty"; "most of these complaints are settled before they go to trial" |
| ~ entrapment | a defense that claims the defendant would not have broken the law if not tricked into doing it by law enforcement officials. |
| ~ law, jurisprudence | the collection of rules imposed by authority.; "civilization presupposes respect for the law"; "the great problem for jurisprudence to allow freedom while enforcing order" |
| n. (act) | 9. defence, defense, defensive measure | (military) military action or resources protecting a country against potential enemies.; "they died in the defense of Stalingrad"; "they were developed for the defense program" |
| ~ umbrella | a formation of military planes maintained over ground operations or targets.; "an air umbrella over England" |
| ~ military action, action | a military engagement.; "he saw action in Korea" |
| ~ air defense | defensive measures designed to destroy attacking enemy aircraft or missiles or to nullify their effectiveness. |
| ~ stand | a defensive effort.; "the army made a final stand at the Rhone" |
| ~ hasty defence, hasty defense | a defense organized while in contact with the enemy or when time is limited. |
| ~ deliberate defence, deliberate defense | a defense organized before contact is made with the enemy and while time for organization is available; usually includes a fortified zone (with pillboxes) and communication systems. |
| ~ biodefence, biodefense, biological defence, biological defense | procedures involved in taking defensive measures against attacks using biological agents. |
| ~ chemical defence, chemical defense | procedures involved in taking defensive measures against attacks using chemical agents. |
| ~ minelaying, mining | laying explosive mines in concealed places to destroy enemy personnel and equipment. |
| ~ biological warfare defence, biological warfare defense, bw defence, bw defense | defense against biological warfare. |
| ~ armed forces, armed services, military, military machine, war machine | the military forces of a nation.; "their military is the largest in the region"; "the military machine is the same one we faced in 1991 but now it is weaker" |
| n. (act) | 10. defence, defense | protection from harm.; "sanitation is the best defense against disease" |
| ~ protection | the activity of protecting someone or something.; "the witnesses demanded police protection" |
| n. (act) | 11. defence, defense | the act of defending someone or something against attack or injury.; "a good boxer needs a good defense"; "defense against hurricanes is an urgent problem" |
| ~ protection | the activity of protecting someone or something.; "the witnesses demanded police protection" |
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