1. the act or process of making something into a fetish; the treatment of an object, idea, or person as if it has special or magical significance beyond its actual importance.
Usage: often used in critical or analytical contexts; commonly appears in discussions of culture, psychology, and social issues
2. in psychology and anthropology, the attribution of magical or supernatural powers to an inanimate object or the excessive focus on a particular object or body part as a source of sexual arousal.
Usage: technical/academic; may include sexual connotations in specialized contexts

Examples

• The fetishization of celebrity culture has led many young people to obsess over the lives of famous actors.
• Critics argue that the fetishization of youth in advertising promotes unrealistic beauty standards.
• The fetishization of technology in modern society sometimes causes people to overlook its drawbacks.
• Scholars study the fetishization of certain cultural symbols and what it reveals about society.
• The film explores how the fetishization of wealth can corrupt personal relationships.
• Marketing experts recognize the fetishization of luxury brands among consumers.
• The fetishization of productivity in workplace culture can lead to burnout.