What does dehumanise mean?
To dehumanise is to deprive people of the qualities regarded as essentially human — dignity, individuality, compassion, and moral worth — usually so that they can be mistreated more easily. The verb is most often used in serious moral and political contexts: histories of slavery, genocide, and totalitarian regimes frequently examine how propaganda and ideology dehumanise victims by portraying them as vermin, machines, or statistics. It is equally applied to everyday institutions, as when workers describe rigid bureaucracies or assembly lines as dehumanising because they reduce individuals to functions. Strongly negative and formal-to-neutral in register, the word carries considerable rhetorical force: calling something dehumanising is an accusation of profound moral wrong. Related forms include the noun "dehumanisation" and the adjective "dehumanising." American English spells it "dehumanize," while British English prefers "dehumanise." Because it names a process that historians and psychologists regard as a precondition for atrocity, the word remains central to ethical and political vocabulary.
verbTo deprive a person or group of human qualities, dignity, or individuality; to treat people as though they are less than human.
- To deprive a person or group of their human qualities, dignity, or individuality, typically through cruel, oppressive, or objectifying treatment.
"Propaganda often seeks to dehumanise the enemy, making violence seem acceptable to ordinary people."
"Prisoners described the routine strip searches as deeply dehumanising."
"Wartime propaganda worked to dehumanise civilians so that atrocities could be justified."
The word entered English in the early 19th century — around the same time industrial factories and slavery abolition debates were forcing writers to describe exactly how machinery and cruelty can strip people of their humanity.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of dehumanise
Dehumanise is formed from the prefix "de-" (indicating removal or reversal) combined with "human," ultimately derived from Latin "humanus," meaning human, cultured, or kindred. The word emerged in English in the early 19th century, during a period when writers needed language to describe the moral effects of slavery, industrial labour, and war. It belongs to the same Latin-derived family as "humane," "humanity," and "inhuman," and follows the productive English pattern of forming verbs with "-ise" (American "-ize"), like "modernise" and "criticise."
Related word forms
How dehumanise is actually used
Strongly negative connotation; common in discussions of war, oppression, discrimination, and institutional cruelty. The spelling "dehumanize" is standard in American English, while "dehumanise" is the British variant. Often used in the passive ("were dehumanised") and frequently appears in adjectival form ("dehumanising").
Easily confused with dehumanise
"Inhuman" describes something lacking human qualities such as compassion, while "dehumanise" is the action of stripping human qualities away from someone else.