1. to treat someone as if they were a child, especially by being overprotective or not allowing them to make their own decisions
Usage: often used in psychology and social contexts

Examples

• The helicopter parents tend to infantilize their teenage children.
• She felt that her boss was infantilizing her by explaining every simple task.
• The nursing home staff were careful not to infantilize the elderly residents.
• His overprotective behavior began to infantilize his adult daughter.
• The teacher avoided infantilizing her high school students by treating them with respect.
• Critics argued that the new policy would infantilize college students.