depersonalized
UK[diːˈpɜːsənəlaɪzd]US[diːˈpɜːrsənəlaɪzd]
adj
Describing a state of having lost one's sense of personal identity or individuality.
verb (past tense)
Made something impersonal or removed its human character or qualities.
Morpheme Breakdown
de
personal
ized
de
remove
personal
individual
ized
made into
Etymology
The word 'depersonalized' is a modern English formation built upon classical components. The core is the Latin-derived word 'personal,' which itself stems from persona, originally denoting a theatrical mask and later the individual wearing it. The prefix 'de-' is added to indicate a reversal or removal of this state of being an individual. Finally, the suffix '-ized' marks the word as an adjective describing the resultant condition or a verb denoting the action. Thus, the literal construction "removed from being an individual" logically evolved into the modern psychological and sociological senses of losing one's identity or making something impersonal.
Analysis
Structure: de (remove) + personal (individual) + ized (made into)
- de: A Latin prefix meaning "away from, down, off, reversal, removal."
- personal: From Latin personalis, relating to a person or individual.
- ized: A suffix forming adjectives or past-tense verbs from nouns or adjectives, meaning "made into, characterized by."
Examples
The standardized testing process can leave students feeling depersonalized.
The bureaucratic language depersonalized the very human tragedy described in the report.
He experienced a depersonalized state, feeling as if he were watching his own life from a distance.