The process of portraying someone or something as evil, wicked, or deserving of blame, often unfairly or exaggeratively.
From demonize + -ation (the noun form of a verb, indicating a process or action). Demon + -ize (to make or treat as) + -ation combines to show the action of making something seem demonic or evil.
Demonization is one of history's most powerful propaganda tools—once you convince people a group is literally demonic, ordinary citizens feel justified in treating them as less than human, which is why historians watch for this rhetorical pattern as a warning sign.
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