anthropomorphize
verb
an·thro·po·mor·phize
ˌan(t)-thrə-pə-ˈmȯr-ˌfīz 
anthropomorphized; anthropomorphizing
: to attribute human form or personality to
: to attribute human form or personality to things not human
Examples of anthropomorphize in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
People who are uncertain about their human attachments can form extra strong attachments with comforting objects, sometimes anthropomorphizing them in the process.
—
Britt Peterson, Washington Post, 6 Sep. 2023
But all of these descriptors stem from our all-too-human tendency to anthropomorphize the actions of machines, according to Suresh Venkatasubramanian, a professor at Brown University who helped co-author the White House’s Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights.
—Catherine Thorbecke, CNN, 29 Aug. 2023
Which may sound like damning with faint praise, but is really just proof that the human brain can adapt to anything and will take any oppor-tuna-ty to anthropomorphize the face of a new automobile.
—Sam Smith, Car and Driver, 25 July 2023
The still lifes anthropomorphized the fruit, putting them in picture-perfect situations, like two pears watching the sunset.
—Steven Vargas, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2023
Please be aware that there is an ongoing and dangerous tendency these days to anthropomorphize AI.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 16 July 2022
But since such disclaimers could ruin the illusion that speaking to an A.I. bot is just like conversing with a friend, tech companies may have little commercial incentive to dissuade users from anthropomorphizing the chatbots.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2023
Part of the issue is our tendency to anthropomorphize computers and especially AI.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 26 Aug. 2022
Blaring news headlines often make use of catchphrases that tend to anthropomorphize the pattern-matching of generative AI.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 19 Apr. 2023
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Britt Peterson, Washington Post, 6 Sep. 2023
But all of these descriptors stem from our all-too-human tendency to anthropomorphize the actions of machines, according to Suresh Venkatasubramanian, a professor at Brown University who helped co-author the White House’s Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights.
—Catherine Thorbecke, CNN, 29 Aug. 2023
Which may sound like damning with faint praise, but is really just proof that the human brain can adapt to anything and will take any oppor-tuna-ty to anthropomorphize the face of a new automobile.
—Sam Smith, Car and Driver, 25 July 2023
The still lifes anthropomorphized the fruit, putting them in picture-perfect situations, like two pears watching the sunset.
—Steven Vargas, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2023
Please be aware that there is an ongoing and dangerous tendency these days to anthropomorphize AI.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 16 July 2022
But since such disclaimers could ruin the illusion that speaking to an A.I. bot is just like conversing with a friend, tech companies may have little commercial incentive to dissuade users from anthropomorphizing the chatbots.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2023
Part of the issue is our tendency to anthropomorphize computers and especially AI.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 26 Aug. 2022
Blaring news headlines often make use of catchphrases that tend to anthropomorphize the pattern-matching of generative AI.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 19 Apr. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'anthropomorphize.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
First Known Use
1825, in the meaning defined at transitive sense
Articles Related to anthropomorphize
Dictionary Entries Near anthropomorphize
Cite this Entry
“Anthropomorphize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anthropomorphize. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.
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