To portray someone or something as evil, wicked, or worthy of blame, especially in an unfair or extreme way.
From demon + -ize (a suffix making verbs meaning 'to make' or 'to treat as'). Entered English in the late 1800s as an extension of demonic thinking into a transitive verb form.
When a culture 'demonizes' a group—whether witches, Indigenous peoples, or political enemies—it follows a predictable psychological pattern that makes violence seem justified, which is why recognizing this language pattern is a crucial critical thinking skill.
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