1. to treat or regard (an abstract concept or quality) as if it were a concrete, independent thing or substance
Usage: formal; often used in philosophy, theology, and academic discourse
2. in theology, to give substance or independent existence to (a divine attribute or person of the Trinity)
Usage: theological; archaic or specialized

Examples

• The philosopher warned against the tendency to hypostasize abstract concepts like justice or beauty.
• Medieval theologians debated whether it was appropriate to hypostasize the Holy Spirit as a distinct person.
• We should not hypostasize intelligence as a fixed entity; it is better understood as a dynamic process.
• The theory hypostasizes fear into an independent force that controls human behavior.
• Critics argue that the text hypostasizes social constructs, treating them as natural facts.