'dehumanize' originates from the prefix 'de-' meaning 'remove' and the word 'humanize,' which comes from the Latin 'humanus,' meaning 'human.'

'dehumanize' evolved from the combination of 'de-' and 'humanize' in the 19th century, forming the modern English word 'dehumanize.'

Initially, it meant 'to make less human,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.