reification

[ ree-uh-fuh-key-shuhn, rey- ]
See synonyms for reification on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. 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.

  2. 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

1
First 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