definitions

reify

[ ree-uh-fahy, rey- ]
/ ˈri əˌfaɪ, ˈreɪ- /
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR reify ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), re·i·fied, re·i·fy·ing.

to convert into or regard as a concrete thing: to reify a concept.

RELATED WORDS

realization, personification, archetype, symbol, apotheosis, exemplar, epitome, expression, avatar, inclusion, comprehension, form, matter, substantiation, integration, type, incarnation, conformation, collection, embracement

Nearby words

reichswehr, reid, reidsville, reif, reifenstein's syndrome, reify, reigate, reign, reign of terror, reignite, reik

Origin of reify

1850–55; < Latin rē(s) thing + -ify

Related forms

re·i·fi·ca·tion, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for reification

  • This happened simultaneously with the reification of many other forms of human praxis: religion, the judiciary, the military.

    The Civilization of Illiteracy|Mihai Nadin

British Dictionary definitions for reification

reify

/ (ˈriːɪˌfaɪ) /

verb -fies, -fying or -fied

(tr) to consider or make (an abstract idea or concept) real or concrete

Derived Forms

reification, nounreificatory, adjectivereifier, noun

Word Origin for reify

C19: from Latin rēs thing; compare deify
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