objectify

1 of 2

verb

ob·​jec·​ti·​fy əb-ˈjek-tə-ˌfī 

objectified; objectifying

transitive verb

1

disapproving : to treat as an object or cause to have objective reality

They believe that beauty pageants objectify women.

2

: to give expression to (something, such as an abstract notion, feeling, or ideal) in a form that can be experienced by others

It is the essence of the fairy tale to objectify differing facets of the child's emotional experience …

—John Updike

objectification

əb-ˌjek-tə-fə-ˈkā-shən 

noun

objectification

2 of 2

noun

ob·​jec·​ti·​fi·​ca·​tion

plural -s

1

: an act or instance or the process of making objective

Schopenhauer declared … that, in contemplating works of art, we contemplate the objectification of will

—John Dewey

2

a

: the state of being objectified

b

: something that is objectified

Examples of objectify in a Sentence

Verb

She says beauty pageants objectify women.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Think Michell Randolph’s Ainsley from Landman, only the entirety of Landman has been directed by men who objectify Ainsley (who’s supposed to be 17-18 in the series) relentlessly. —Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 13 Mar. 2026

For those who love to objectify, that old attic book smell stays unbeatable. —Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 4 Mar. 2026

The n word, when said by anyone not Black, will always be discriminatory, hurtful and objectify Black people. —Nancy Doyle, Forbes.com, 24 Feb. 2026

Were the photographs made for prurience, to objectify the victims, or to blackmail the guilty? —Sam Knight, New Yorker, 16 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

object entry 1 + -ify

Noun

from objectify, after such pairs as English identify : identification

First Known Use

Verb

circa 1837, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for objectify

• acidify
• alveoli
• antinomy
• areolae
• demystify
• detoxify
• disqualify
• diversify
• electrify
• exemplify
• fasciculi
• identify