What does depersonalize mean?
Depersonalize is a verb meaning to strip away the human or personal qualities of something, leaving it cold, mechanical, or impersonal. It is most often used critically: hospitals may be accused of depersonalizing patient care, workplaces of depersonalizing relationships, and technology of depersonalizing communication. The word also has a distinct psychological sense, describing the experience in which a person feels detached from their own self, as if observing their life from a distance — a symptom known as depersonalization that can occur during stress, anxiety, or certain disorders. Formed from the Latin-derived root "person" with the negative prefix "de-", the word entered English in the nineteenth century alongside growing concerns about industrialization and bureaucracy. Its connotations are almost always unfavourable, making it a precise and useful term whenever individuality, empathy, or human connection is lost.
To deprive of personal or human qualities; to make impersonal.
"The hospital's rigid routines threatened to depersonalize patient care."
Frequently used in criticism of large institutions and modern technology.
(Psychology) To cause a person to feel detached from their own identity, thoughts, or actions.
"Severe stress can temporarily depersonalize a person's sense of self."
In psychology, depersonalization is the third most common mental-health symptom after anxiety and low mood — yet most people have never heard the word until they experience it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of depersonalize
Depersonalize combines the negative prefix "de-" with "personalize", ultimately rooted in the Latin "persona", meaning a mask worn by actors, which came to denote a person or individual character. The word emerged in English during the nineteenth century as writers responded to the perceived dehumanizing effects of industrialization and bureaucratic systems. It shares this Latin root with cognates such as "personify", "persona", and "personnel".
Related word forms
How depersonalize is actually used
The word is common in social commentary and criticism of institutions such as hospitals, bureaucracies, and corporations, where it carries a clearly negative connotation. In psychological contexts, the noun form "depersonalization" is more frequent than the verb. British English typically spells it "depersonalise".
Easily confused with depersonalize
"Derealize" refers to feeling that the external world is unreal, whereas "depersonalize" refers to losing one's sense of personal identity or self.