What does reification mean?
Reification is the process of treating an abstract idea as if it were a concrete thing. An abstract concept such as happiness, poverty, authority, or national identity may be reified by being assigned the properties of an object: it can be bought, measured, possessed, displayed, or treated as though it has a fixed, physical existence. The term is frequently used in philosophy, sociology, literary criticism, and cultural analysis, where it often carries a critical implication: reification can make complicated human relationships appear simpler and more stable than they are. In a more neutral sense, reification can mean making an abstract concept explicit or easier to understand through language, imagery, or a concrete representation. The word is related to reify, meaning to make something abstract concrete or explicit, and comes from Latin roots meaning “thing” and “to make.”
nounReification is the treatment of an abstract idea, quality, or relationship as if it were a concrete object or entity. It can also refer more broadly to the act of making something abstract or intangible into a tangible or explicit form.
- The treatment of an abstract idea, quality, or relationship as a concrete object or entity.
- The process of making an abstract or intangible concept more explicit, concrete, or understandable.
"The advertisement risked reification by presenting happiness as a product that could be purchased."
"The campaign was criticized for the reification of national identity as a marketable image."
"The model helps avoid reification by keeping social forces visible as relationships rather than treating them as fixed things."
The plural is used for separate instances or acts of reification.
"These advertisements offer different reifications of freedom."
Reification is the moment an abstract idea starts to behave like a thing.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does reification come from?
Reification was formed in the 19th century from reify, with the suffix -ation added to form a noun. Reify comes from Latin re- and facere, associated with making, together with the sense of turning an abstract or general notion into something definite. The word is related to other English formations involving the Latin root facere, “to make,” such as refashion and reform.
Related word forms
How reification is actually used
The term is especially common in academic and analytical writing, including philosophy, sociology, literary criticism, and discussions of language and representation. It is often used critically to describe the mistaken treatment of an abstract process as a simple, tangible object. The less common sense of making an abstraction concrete or explicit is more neutral.
Easily confused with reification
Reification specifically treats an abstraction as a concrete thing, whereas realization means bringing an idea, plan, or possibility into actuality.