What does impersonalize mean?
Impersonalize means to make something less personal, subjective, or closely associated with an individual person. In practice, it is used when describing the treatment of people, the wording of a statement, or the design of a procedure. An organization might impersonalize an application process by using standardized criteria, while a writer might impersonalize an account of an event by replacing personal impressions with broader descriptions. The word does not necessarily mean cold or unfeeling; it emphasizes the removal or reduction of individual perspectives and personal bias. It can also describe language that presents information in a general, objective form. The related verb personalize means the opposite, adding a person’s identity, preferences, or characteristics. In everyday speech, people more often say make objective, standardize, or take the personal out of something, but impersonalize is useful in formal and analytical contexts.
verbTo make something impersonal by removing or reducing personal feelings, individual perspectives, or personal references. It can also mean to treat an activity, system, or process in a way that is not tied to any particular person.
- To make something impersonal, especially by removing personal bias, feelings, or individual perspectives.
- To express something in impersonal terms rather than as a personal experience or opinion.
"The editorial team worked to impersonalize the evaluation process by using a standardized rubric."
"The committee sought to impersonalize the selection process through blind review."
"The author impersonalizes her account by describing the conflict in broad social terms."
Impersonalize the system, not the people: the word describes how a process can be made less subjective without erasing human experience.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of impersonalize
The word was formed in English by combining the prefix im-, meaning “not,” with personal and the suffix -ize, meaning “to make” or “to become.” Personal ultimately comes from Latin personalis, meaning “of or relating to a person,” while persona is a Latin word for a mask and is the source of the English word person. The form impersonalize reflects the older English adjective impersonal, which developed from the same elements.
Related word forms
How impersonalize is actually used
The word is formal and relatively uncommon. It is often used in discussions of language, evaluation, organizational procedures, and writing, where it suggests reducing subjectivity or personal involvement.
Easily confused with impersonalize
To impersonate someone is to pretend to be that person, whereas to impersonalize something is to remove personal perspectives or individual involvement from it.