objectify

verb

ob·​jec·​ti·​fy əb-ˈjek-tə-ˌfī 

objectified; objectifying

transitive verb

1

: 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

Examples of objectify in a Sentence

She says beauty pageants objectify women.

Recent Examples on the Web

Some have noted that Sweeney's soap stunt seems especially odd, given what the actress has said before about being objectified. —Charles Trepany, USA Today, 18 June 2025

In addition, researchers found that voters were less likely to support political candidates who had been objectified, and that objectified women were perceived as lacking qualities like helpfulness or emotional depth. —Kim Elsesser, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025

It was used as a dehumanizing form of minstrelsy that further objectified Black men. —Taryn Finley, Refinery29, 1 May 2025

Or will the troves of data being amassed on nonhuman animals be used to further commodify and objectify them? —David Gruber, Time, 24 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

object entry 1 + -ify

First Known Use

circa 1837, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for objectify

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