(politics) A situation when ostensibly democratic organizations or institutions (particularly governments) are seen to be falling short of fulfilling the principles of the parliamentary democracy in their practices or operation where representative and linked parliamentary integrity becomes widely discussed.

(logic) A Horn clause with exactly one positive literal.

(psychology) A psychological strategy used unconsciously by people to cope with harmful or stressful situations. / (evolutionary biology) An automatic reaction of the body against foreign antibodies.

The difference, expressed in degrees, between the direction a magnetic compass needle points and true or astronomical north; magnetic declination.

plural of defense mechanism

In a battle or dispute, attacking the opposition first is better than waiting for them to attack.

To undermine the act of doing something by having an opposite effect; to nullify.

(military, defence) A United States Army system designed to shoot down ballistic missiles in their terminal phase.

(computing) The practice of planning for contingencies in the design stage of a project so as to make the misuse of the software impossible, or to minimise the negative consequences.

plural of defensive design