reification
[ ree-uh-fuh-key-shuhn, rey- ]
noun
the act of treating something abstract, such as an idea, relation, system, quality, etc., as if it were a concrete object: Defining “home” as if it were just a roof over one’s head, instead of the center of a web of relationships, leads in turn to the reification of homelessness.
the act of treating a person as a thing; objectification: The conference dealt with the issue of prostitution and the reification and trafficking of women.
Origin of reification
1First recorded in 1845–50; equivalent Latin rē(s) “thing” + -i- + -fication, perhaps formed by analogy with deification
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
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