Definition of Knee-jerk
Knee-jerk: Adjective meaning readily predictable to the point of being automatic. Knee-jerk often has a negative connotation and conveys the idea of an all-too-hasty, impulsive, irrational response based on a preset idea. For example, a dictator's knee-jerk response to a democratic movement is to suppress it. The term is derived from the reaction which has been so often tested as to become a familiar figure of speech.
For more about the knee-jerk reaction, see: Knee jerk.
Source: MedTerms™ Medical Dictionaryhttp://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=34168
Last Editorial Review: 9/25/2012
Drug Medical Dictionary of Terms by Letter
Medical Dictionary Term:
Women's Health
Find out what women really need.
Updated & New
