1. (psychiatry) a defence mechanism in which a person unconsciously develops attitudes and behaviour 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"

Derived forms: reaction formations

Type of: defence [Brit, Cdn], defence mechanism [Brit, Cdn], defence reaction [Brit, Cdn], defense [US], defense mechanism [US], defense reaction [US]

Encyclopedia: Reaction formation

• formative
• formative cell
• formatted capacity
• formatting
• formed
• former
• Former Armed Forces
• former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
• formerly
• formic
• formic acid
• Formica
• Formica fusca
• Formica rufa
• Formica sanguinea
• Formicariidae
• Formicarius
• formicary
• formicate
• formication
• Formicidae
• formidability
• formidable
• formidably
• formless