1. to make something familiar seem strange, unfamiliar, or new by presenting it in an unusual way
Usage: often used in literary and artistic contexts; related to the Russian Formalist concept of 'ostranenie' or 'making strange'

Examples

• The artist used unusual angles and colors to defamiliarize the ordinary street scene.
• Science fiction writers often defamiliarize everyday technology to help readers see it with fresh eyes.
• The director's experimental film techniques defamiliarize the viewer from conventional storytelling.
• By removing context, the photographer managed to defamiliarize a common household object.
• Literary critics noted how the author's strange syntax served to defamiliarize familiar emotions.
• The museum installation defamiliarizes consumer goods by displaying them in an art gallery setting.