verb
- to regard or represent something as essential or inherent; to reduce to or identify with an essential nature or quality
Usage: chiefly British spelling (American: essentialize); often used in academic and philosophical contexts; frequently used critically to describe the act of oversimplifying or stereotyping
Examples
- Critics argue that the film essentialises gender by portraying women only as caregivers.
- We should not essentialise cultural identity; it is far more complex and fluid.
- The theory essentialises human nature as fundamentally competitive.
- Philosophers warn against the tendency to essentialise abstract concepts.
- Marketing campaigns often essentialise national character to sell products.
- The author essentialises the differences between Eastern and Western thought.