To remove or reduce feminine qualities or characteristics from someone or something.
From de- (reversal) + feminine + -ize (American suffix forming verbs). This is the American English spelling; British English uses 'defeminise.' Emerged in mid-20th century academic and medical contexts.
The '-ize' ending is actually Greek in origin—it comes from '-izein' meaning 'to make or become,' which is why verbs with this ending feel like they're describing a transformation or process of becoming.
20th-century term with roots in medical/psychiatric discourse that pathologized both female identity and gender variance, implying femininity is a defect to remedy.
Avoid; use 'transition', 'hormone therapy', or defer to individual's own language about their experience.
["transition","undergo medical transition","express identity"]
Women and trans people fought against medical models that treated identity as pathology—use language that affirms autonomy.
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