dehumanize
C1Formal, often academic, journalistic, or political.
Definition
Meaning
To deprive of human qualities, personality, or dignity; to make someone or something seem less than human.
To treat people in a way that disregards their individual needs, rights, and humanity, often making them seem like objects or machines. Can also refer to processes or language that reduces people to stereotypes or statistics.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
This verb implies a strong negative judgment about an action, system, or process. It is often used in contexts of oppression, war, propaganda, industrialisation, or bureaucracy.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The spelling differs: 'dehumanise' is the standard British English spelling; 'dehumanize' is standard in American English. There is no difference in meaning.
Connotations
Identical in both variants. Used in similar contexts of human rights, psychology, sociology, and political critique.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in American English corpora, but common in serious discourse in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] dehumanizes [Object][Object] is dehumanized by [Subject]It is dehumanizing to [Verb Phrase]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[No specific idioms. Often part of phrases like 'the dehumanizing march of progress' or 'a dehumanizing bureaucracy'.]”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Criticism of overly rigid corporate cultures that treat employees as mere resources. 'The new monitoring software has a dehumanizing effect on the call centre staff.'
Academic
Common in sociology, political science, ethics, and history. 'The study examines how propaganda was used to dehumanize the opposing ethnic group.'
Everyday
Used in serious discussion about social issues, treatment in hospitals or institutions. 'Waiting for hours in that bleak corridor felt utterly dehumanizing.'
Technical
In robotics/AI ethics, discussing the fear that automation may dehumanize care or service roles.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The regime's propaganda sought to dehumanise dissidents.
- Prisoners reported being dehumanised by the endless procedures.
American English
- The authoritarian regime used media to dehumanize its opponents.
- Many feel that standardized testing dehumanizes the educational process.
adjective
British English
- The dehumanising nature of the assembly line was a major theme.
- She described the experience as utterly dehumanising.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- [Too complex for A2. Not applicable.]
- War propaganda tries to dehumanize the enemy.
- Working in a huge factory can feel dehumanizing.
- The journalist argued that such bureaucratic systems dehumanize both the clients and the staff.
- Survivors spoke of the dehumanizing conditions in the overcrowded camp.
- Philosophers have warned that certain technologies, while efficient, risk dehumanizing fundamental aspects of human interaction.
- The legislation was criticised for its dehumanizing portrayal of immigrants as a homogeneous threat.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: DE-HUMAN-IZE. To take the 'human' (HUMAN) qualities 'away from' (DE-) and turn it into a process (-IZE).
Conceptual Metaphor
PEOPLE ARE MACHINES/OBJECTS (when dehumanized); HUMANITY IS A QUALITY THAT CAN BE REMOVED.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct calques like 'раскукоживать' or 'оскотинивать'. The closest conceptual translations are 'лишать человеческого достоинства', 'обезличивать', or 'расчеловечивать' (the latter is a direct but rarer equivalent).
- Do not confuse with 'degrade' (унижать) or 'humiliate' (унижать). Dehumanize is more profound, attacking the essence of being human.
Common Mistakes
- Misspelling: 'dehumanise' vs. 'dehumanize' according to variety. Using it for minor insults ('He ignored me, it was so dehumanizing') overstates the case. The adjective 'dehumanizing' is more common than the verb 'to dehumanize' in some contexts.
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the BEST example of a dehumanizing action?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it carries a strongly negative connotation. It describes a process considered morally wrong or psychologically damaging.
Dehumanization (US) / Dehumanisation (UK).
No, it specifically means to strip *human* qualities from people or human contexts. You cannot dehumanize a rock or a dog.
They are closely related. 'Objectify' specifically means to treat as an object (often sexually). 'Dehumanize' is broader—it can mean treating someone like an object, an animal, a machine, or a statistic, removing their human dignity and individuality.