animalisation
|an-i-mal-i-sa-tion|
🇺🇸
/ˌænɪmələˈzeɪʃən/
🇬🇧
/ˌænɪməlaɪˈzeɪʃ(ə)n/
turning toward animal nature
Etymology
'animalisation' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'animalis' (from 'anima,' meaning 'breath, life, soul'), combined with the verb-forming suffix '-ise' (via French '-iser' from Greek '-izein') and the noun-forming suffix '-ation' (from Latin '-atio').
'animalis' (Latin) influenced French 'animaliser' and the pattern of '-isation' nouns; these passed into English as 'animalize/animalise' and later the noun 'animalisation' (19th c.), alongside US 'animalization'.
Initially, it meant 'to make (something) animal in nature'; later it broadened to figurative uses like 'dehumanization' and gained a technical sense in embryology referring to a shift toward animal-pole/ectodermal traits.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the process of making someone or something more animal-like in nature or behavior; the act of stripping away human qualities (often figurative).
Critics argued that the animalisation of the prisoners only fueled further violence.
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Noun 2
biology: a developmental shift toward animal-pole or ectodermal characteristics in an embryo or cell.
Experimental manipulation of the egg led to animalisation of the embryo.
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Noun 3
the depiction or treatment of humans as animals in art, literature, or rhetoric.
The novel’s recurring animalisation of the angry crowd intensifies its critique of mob mentality.
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Last updated: 2025/08/11 22:37