verb
- to regard or represent something as essential or inherent; to reduce to or treat as an essential nature or quality
Usage: British spelling (American: essentializes); often used in academic or philosophical contexts; frequently used critically to describe the act of oversimplifying complex identities or characteristics
Examples
- The theory essentialises gender by claiming that certain traits are naturally male or female.
- Critics argue that the film essentialises African culture rather than showing its diversity.
- She essentialises the concept of identity, ignoring how it changes across contexts.
- The author essentialises human nature in a way that many philosophers find reductive.
- Marketing campaigns often essentialise national stereotypes to sell products.
- By essentialising race as a biological category, the study overlooked social and historical factors.