desocialize: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Low (C1-C2 level word). Primarily encountered in academic, technical, or formal writing.Formal, Academic, Technical. Rare in casual conversation.
Quick answer
What does “desocialize” mean?
To remove or cause to lose the characteristics or habits acquired through living in a social environment.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To remove or cause to lose the characteristics or habits acquired through living in a social environment; to make someone unsocial or isolated from society.
Can refer to processes where individuals, groups, or even animals are deliberately separated from social contexts, leading to a loss of social skills, norms, or integration. In technical contexts (e.g., sociology, animal behavior), it describes a systematic removal from social conditioning.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in core meaning. Slightly more frequent in American academic sociology/psychology texts.
Connotations
Both varieties carry a neutral-to-negative connotation, suggesting a loss or deprivation. In political contexts, can carry a strong negative charge (e.g., state desocializing citizens).
Frequency
Very low frequency in both. Understood by educated speakers but not commonly used.
Grammar
How to Use “desocialize” in a Sentence
[Institution/Process] desocializes [Group/Individual][Individual] becomes desocialized (from [Society/Group])Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “desocialize” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The lengthy solitary confinement served to desocialise the prisoner completely.
- Critics argue that certain welfare policies can inadvertently desocialise vulnerable communities.
American English
- The researchers sought to desocialize the young animals to observe innate behaviors.
- Extreme political polarization can desocialize citizens from their common civic identity.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Possibly in HR/management discussing remote work extremes: 'Purely remote roles risk desocializing team members from company culture.'
Academic
Common in sociology, psychology, political science: 'Total institutions, like prisons, can desocialize inmates from external societal norms.'
Everyday
Very rare. Might be used hyperbolically: 'All this screen time is desocializing our kids.'
Technical
Used in animal behavior, social work, institutional analysis: 'The experiment involved desocializing the puppies to study critical periods.'
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “desocialize”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “desocialize”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “desocialize”
- Using it to mean 'to not be in a social mood' (use 'unsociable').
- Confusing with 'privatize' (in economics).
- Using it transitively when intransitive is needed: 'He desocialized' (better: 'He became desocialized').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. 'Desocialize' is a verb describing a process of removal from social conditioning. 'Antisocial' is an adjective describing behavior harmful to or disruptive of society, or a person who avoids society.
Extremely rarely. It typically has a negative or neutral clinical/academic tone. A positive spin might be found in critiques of negative social influences (e.g., 'desocialize from harmful peer pressure'), but this is uncommon.
Desocialization (US) / Desocialisation (UK).
'Isolate' is broader, meaning to set apart. 'Desocialize' is more specific, implying the loss of social attributes, skills, or norms as a result of that isolation. You can be isolated (physically alone) without being fully desocialized (having lost social understanding).
To remove or cause to lose the characteristics or habits acquired through living in a social environment.
Desocialize is usually formal, academic, technical. rare in casual conversation. in register.
Desocialize: in British English it is pronounced /diːˈsəʊʃəlaɪz/, and in American English it is pronounced /diˈsoʊʃəˌlaɪz/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “To be desocialized from the mainstream”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: DE-(remove) + SOCIALIZE (make sociable) = to remove sociability.
Conceptual Metaphor
SOCIETY IS A FABRIC/WEB (to desocialize is to unravel or be cut from the web).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'desocialize' most appropriately used?