dehumanize

[ dee-hyoo-muh-nahyz or, often, -yoo- ]
See synonyms for: dehumanizedehumanizing on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),de·hu·man·ized, de·hu·man·iz·ing.
  1. to regard, represent, or treat (a person or group) as less than human: Society still has a tendency to devalue and dehumanize those with disabilities and to suppress their voices.

  2. to deprive of human qualities or attributes; divest of individuality: Conformity dehumanized him.

Origin of dehumanize

1
First recorded in 1810–20; de- + humanize
  • Also especially British, de·hu·man·ise .

Other words from dehumanize

  • de·hu·man·i·za·tion [dee-hyoo-muh-nahy-zey-shuhn or, often, -yoo-], /diˌhyu məˌnaɪˈzeɪ ʃən or, often, -ˌyu-/, noun

Words Nearby dehumanize

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use dehumanize in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for dehumanize

dehumanize

dehumanise

/ (diːˈhjuːməˌnaɪz) /


verb(tr)
  1. to deprive of human qualities

  2. to render mechanical, artificial, or routine

Derived forms of dehumanize

  • dehumanization or dehumanisation, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012