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Dehumanising: meaning, definitions and examples

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dehumanising

 

[ diːˈhjuːmənaɪzɪŋ ]

Verb
Context #1 | Verb

in psychology

To deprive of human qualities or attributes; to treat someone as if they are not human.

Synonyms

degrade, depersonalize, devalue.

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Word Description / Examples
dehumanising

Refers to making someone feel less human through actions or words, often used in discussions about systemic abuse or cruelty.

  • Working in such poor conditions is dehumanising and unacceptable.
depersonalize

Used in psychological or medical discussions to describe making someone feel disconnected from their own identity or emotions.

  • The constant stress and bureaucracy made him feel depersonalized at work.
degrade

Refers to lowering someone's dignity or respect, commonly used in social, work, or personal interactions.

  • The manager's harsh criticism degraded the employee in front of his colleagues.
devalue

Used to refer to reducing the value, worth, or importance of someone or something, often in economic or personal contexts.

  • Offering such a low salary devalues the work and skills of the employees.

Examples of usage

  • It is dehumanising to discriminate against people based on their race.
  • The use of child labor in factories is a dehumanising practice.
  • She felt dehumanised by the way she was treated by her boss.
  • The soldiers were ordered to dehumanise the enemy in order to make it easier to kill them.
  • The dehumanising effects of poverty can have long-lasting impacts on individuals.

Translations

Translations of the word "dehumanising" in other languages:

🇵🇹 desumanizante

🇮🇳 अमानवीकरण

🇩🇪 entmenschlichend

🇮🇩 dehumanisasi

🇺🇦 дегуманізуючий

🇵🇱 odczłowieczający

🇯🇵 非人間化

🇫🇷 déshumanisant

🇪🇸 deshumanizante

🇹🇷 insandışılaştıran

🇰🇷 비인간화

🇸🇦 إزالة الإنسانية

🇨🇿 dehumanizující

🇸🇰 dehumanizujúci

🇨🇳 非人化

🇸🇮 dehumanizirajoč

🇮🇸 afmennskun

🇰🇿 адамгершіліктен айыру

🇬🇪 გადაუსიაცხოველება

🇦🇿 insanlıqdan çıxarmaq

🇲🇽 deshumanizante

Etymology

The term 'dehumanising' originated from the word 'dehumanize', which first appeared in the mid-19th century. The prefix 'de-' means 'to remove' or 'reverse', while 'humanize' means 'to make human' or 'to treat with humanity'. Therefore, 'dehumanising' refers to the act of taking away human qualities or treating someone as if they are not human. This concept has been studied in psychology and sociology, particularly in relation to discrimination, oppression, and violence.

See also: dehumanise, dehumanization, dehumanize, dehumanizing, humanitarian, humanitarians, humanity, humanization, humanize, humanizing, humankind, humans, inhuman, inhumanity, metahuman, subhuman, superhuman.

Word Frequency Rank

Ranking #39,224, this word is encountered relatively rarely in everyday English. It might appear in literary works or specialized texts but isn't essential for general communication.