1. to treat someone as an object rather than as a person with feelings and rights
Usage: often used in discussions of gender and social issues
2. to express something abstract in concrete or material form
Usage: formal; philosophical

Examples

• The advertisement was criticized for objectifying women.
• Some argue that certain music videos objectify performers.
• The media should not objectify victims of crime.
• Critics claim the film objectifies its female characters.
• The philosopher sought to objectify abstract concepts through concrete examples.
• Art can objectify emotions and make them visible to others.