| n. | 1. | The arrangement or relation of the parts of a machine; the parts of a machine, taken collectively; the arrangement or relation of the parts of anything as adapted to produce an effect; |
| 2. | The series of causal relations that operate to produce an effect in any system; | |
| 3. | Mechanical operation or action. | |
| 4. | (Kinematics) An ideal machine; a combination of movable bodies constituting a machine, but considered only with regard to relative movements. |
| Noun | 1. | mechanism - the atomic process that occurs during a chemical reaction; "he determined unique mechanisms for the photochemical reactions" Synonyms: chemical mechanism |
| 2. | mechanism - the technical aspects of doing something; "a mechanism of social control"; "mechanisms of communication"; "the mechanics of prose style" Synonyms: mechanics | |
| 3. | mechanism - a natural object resembling a machine in structure or function; "the mechanism of the ear"; "the mechanism of infection" | |
| 4. | mechanism - (philosophy) the philosophical theory that all phenomena can be explained in terms of physical or biological causes | |
| 5. | mechanism - device consisting of a piece of machinery; has moving parts that perform some function |