WordLens

dehumanization

1 of 1noun
/diːˌhjuːmənɪˈzeɪʃən/
Forms:dehumanizations
1

the process or practice of treating a person or group as less than fully human by denying their individuality, dignity, or emotional life

  • Propaganda during the conflict relied on dehumanization, describing the enemy as vermin to justify brutal policies.
  • Workers reported that the factory's surveillance and cold routines produced a daily dehumanization that drained morale.
  • Social media mobbing can amount to dehumanization when critics reduce a person to a single, caricatured flaw.
  • Historical accounts show how dehumanization made it easier for authorities to enact laws that stripped entire communities of rights.
  • Doctors warned that clinical detachment, if unchecked, risks dehumanization of patients rather than compassionate care.