dissociation

  1. Noun.  The act of dissociating or disuniting; a state of separation; disunion.
  2. Noun.  (chemistry) The process by which a compound body breaks up into simpler constituents; said particularly of the action of heat on gaseous or volatile substances.
  3. Noun.  (psychology) A defence mechanism where certain thoughts or mental processes are compartmentalised in order to avoid emotional stress to the conscious mind.

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This entry was last updated on RefTopia from its source on 3/20/2012.