1. the process of reducing or eliminating an emotional or physical response to something that previously caused a strong reaction
Usage: British spelling; American English typically uses 'desensitization'; commonly used in psychology and therapy contexts
2. a therapeutic technique in which a person is gradually exposed to a feared stimulus to reduce anxiety or phobic response
Usage: psychology and clinical contexts; also called systematic desensitisation

Examples

• Repeated exposure to the horror film led to desensitisation; the scenes no longer frightened her.
• The therapist used desensitisation to help the patient overcome his fear of flying.
• Some researchers worry that excessive violence in video games causes desensitisation to real-world harm.
• Through gradual desensitisation, she became comfortable speaking in front of large audiences.
• The patient's desensitisation to the allergen was achieved through a series of controlled injections.
• Constant notifications on his phone resulted in desensitisation to urgent messages.