Third person singular present tense of dehumanize; causes someone or something to lose human qualities or to be treated without respect for their humanity.
From de- + humanize + -s (third person singular). The base verb 'dehumanize' emerged in the 20th century as society grappled with industrial and political systems that seemed to strip away human dignity.
Psychologists use this term to explain how people justify cruelty—when someone dehumanizes others, they make it easier for themselves to cause harm because they're no longer thinking of victims as fully human.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.