What does depersonalised mean?
Depersonalised means made impersonal or deprived of individual character. It can describe institutions, services, treatment, or communication that treat people uniformly without recognising their distinct identities and circumstances. The word often carries a mildly critical connotation, suggesting that personal attention, warmth, or individuality has been removed. In clinical and psychological writing, depersonalised also describes a disturbing sense of detachment from oneself, as though one's body, identity, or surroundings have become unreal. This specialised sense is related to the condition or experience known as depersonalisation and is not simply a synonym for feeling anonymous. The adjective is less common than impersonal and is usually reserved for contexts in which the removal of personal qualities is noteworthy, whether socially, institutionally, or psychologically. Its British spelling ends in -ised, while the American form is generally depersonalized.
adjectiveMade impersonal or stripped of individual character. In psychological contexts, it can describe a state in which a person feels detached from their own identity, body, or surroundings.
- Made impersonal, anonymous, or stripped of individual character.
- Characterised by a psychological sense of detachment from oneself, one's identity, or one's surroundings.
"The clinic sought to provide depersonalised treatment without sacrificing compassion."
"The company introduced a depersonalised service that treated every customer identically."
"As the fever worsened, she began to feel depersonalised, as though she were observing herself from a distance."
Strip away the personal, and anonymity can begin to feel like something stranger: unreality.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does depersonalised come from?
Depersonalised was formed in English from the prefix de-, meaning removal or reversal, combined with personal and the verbal ending -ise. The underlying element personal comes through French from Latin personalis, itself associated with persona, meaning an individual's identity or character. The derived noun depersonalisation developed both for the process of making something impersonal and for the psychological experience of feeling detached from oneself.
Related word forms
How depersonalised is actually used
The word is formal and relatively uncommon in general use. British English normally uses the ending -ised, while American English typically uses -ized. Its psychological sense is associated with depersonalisation and should not be confused with ordinary feelings of detachment or anonymity.
Easily confused with depersonalised
Depersonalisation is a noun naming the process or psychological state, whereas depersonalised is an adjective describing something characterised by that process or state.