What does carnalise mean?
Carnalise is a comparatively rare verb meaning to make something carnal — that is, to render it concerned with bodily appetites rather than with the spirit, intellect, or higher values. It is most often used critically: a reviewer might complain that an adaptation has carnalised a morally serious novel, or a preacher might warn against art that seems designed to carnalise its audience's thoughts. The word derives from the adjective 'carnal', which comes from the Latin caro, carnis, meaning flesh — the same root that gives us carnival, incarnate, and carnation. Spelled 'carnalize' in American English, it belongs to formal and literary registers and is rarely heard in everyday conversation. Its enduring usefulness lies in naming a specific kind of degradation: not violence or obscenity exactly, but the flattening of something elevated into mere sensation.
verbTo make something carnal or fleshly; to reduce a person, idea, or pursuit to mere bodily appetite or sensual indulgence.
- To render something carnal or sensual in character; to reduce spiritual, intellectual, or refined matters to mere bodily appetite.
- Rarely: to indulge in or pursue sensual pleasures.
"Critics accused the film of carnalising what had once been a story about spiritual devotion."
"The novelist was criticised for carnalising a tale that earlier generations had treated as a parable of the soul."
"In his sermons he warned against literature that seemed designed to carnalise the imagination."
Every 'carnal' word in English — from carnival to incarnation — traces back to the same Latin word for raw meat: caro, carnis.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of carnalise
Carnalise is formed from the adjective 'carnal', which entered English via Old French from the Latin carnalis, itself derived from caro, carnis, meaning 'flesh'. The verb follows the common English pattern of adding the suffix -ise (or -ize) to an adjective to create a verb meaning 'to make or treat as'. Its relatives — carnival (literally a farewell to meat before Lent), incarnate (made flesh), and carnation (the 'flesh-coloured' flower) — all descend from the same Latin root. The -ise spelling predominates in British English, while American English favours carnalize.
Related word forms
How carnalise is actually used
A relatively rare, literary word, chiefly found in British English with the -ise spelling ('carnalize' in American English). It carries an evaluative, often critical connotation — typically used when someone deplores the reduction of something elevated to the merely physical.
Easily confused with carnalise
'Carnal' is the adjective meaning relating to bodily appetites (as in 'carnal desires'), while 'carnalise' is the verb meaning to make something carnal.