Learn English – Opposite of anthropomorphise

single-word-requests

To anthropomorphise is to ascribe human features to something, such as an animal. Is there a word that means the opposite, namely to deny a feature exists in an animal because it is assumed to be uniquely human?

For example, some would see it as anthropomorphising to say a dog misses its owner. How would you describe it when it is said a dog can not miss its owner as animals do not feel emotions?

Best Answer

I would think that if you were robbing something of its human characteristics you would be objectifying it:

reduce to object: to reduce somebody, or something that is complex and multifaceted, to the status of a simple object.

Related Topic