impersonalize

impersonalize — verb

  • impersonalizepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • impersonalizes3rd person singular
  • impersonalizing-ing form
  • impersonalizedpast simple

1. to change a process, system, or activity so that people are treated as cases, nu

1.動詞及物C2
釋義

to change a process, system, or activity so that people are treated as cases, numbers, or categories rather than as unique individuals — which often makes the situation feel cold, mechanical, or bureaucratic.

例句

The hospital's new check-in kiosks impersonalized the process by replacing warm greetings with touchscreens.

impersonalize + object + by + gerund phrase showing method

Ezra worried that the automated grading system impersonalized education, reducing each student to a single score.

felt/worried that [system] impersonalizes [domain], reducing [group] to [abstract]

同義詞
  • depersonalise

    overlapping meaning but more often used in psychology (loss of sense of self); 'impersonalise' suits organisational/process contexts

  • standardise

    focuses on making uniform, not necessarily removing human touch; broader and more neutral

  • mechanise

    specifically about replacing human labour with machines, narrower than 'impersonalise'

反義詞
  • personalise

    to adapt something to an individual's needs or preferences, the direct opposite direction of change

  • humanise

    to make a system or process kinder and more considerate of human needs

文法句型

impersonalize + object

be impersonalized + by + agent

用法筆記

Frequently used in formal or critical writing about technology, healthcare, and service industries. The passive form ('become impersonalised') is common when describing gradual change.

常見錯誤

❌The new system depersonalised customers.
✅The new system impersonalised the customer experience.
💡'depersonalise' exists but focuses on psychological detachment; 'impersonalise' is about systems/processes losing human character.