To strip away or deny the human qualities, dignity, or rights of a person or group.
From dis- (prefix meaning to do the opposite) and humanize, itself from Latin humanus. This word emerged in the 20th century to describe the process of denying humanity to others, often in contexts of warfare, racism, or oppression.
Dishumanization is a documented psychological step that enables atrocities—societies that commit genocide almost always begin by using language that portrays victims as less than human, making this word describe a dangerous linguistic and cognitive pattern.
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