reaction formation vs defense

reaction formation and defense both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
reaction formation	Yes	No	No	No
defense	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, defense is a hypernym of reaction formation; that is, defense is a word with a broader meaning than reaction formation:

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
defense: (psychiatry) an unconscious process that tries to reduce the anxiety associated with instinctive desires

Other hypernyms of reaction formation include defence, defence mechanism, defence reaction, defense mechanism, defense reaction.

reaction formation (noun)	defense (noun)
(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	(military) military action or resources protecting a country against potential enemies
	the act of defending someone or something against attack or injury
	a defendant's answer or plea denying the truth of the charges against him
	protection from harm
	a structure used to defend against attack
	the justification for some act or belief
	the speech act of answering an attack on your assertions
	the defendant and his legal advisors collectively
	(sports) the team that is trying to prevent the other team from scoring
	an organization of defenders that provides resistance against attack
	(psychiatry) an unconscious process that tries to reduce the anxiety associated with instinctive desires