Defetishize
/diːˈfɛt.ɪ.ʃaɪz/noun
To remove fetishistic qualities from something, or to stop treating it as a fetish.
Did you know?Its core comes from the same Portuguese-rooted word that once meant a magically charged object or charm, from *feitiço* “spell, sorcery,” so the word literally carries the history of enchantment.
Etymological Timeline
16th Century
Portuguese
feitiço
“an enchantment, charm, or sorcery”
17th Century
French
fétiche
“an object believed to have magical power, especially in African religious contexts as described by Europeans”
18th Century
English
fetish
“an object worshipped or believed to have supernatural power”
20th Century
English
fetishize
“to make into or treat as a fetish; to invest with excessive or irrational reverence or desire”
Modern English
English
defetishize
“to remove fetishistic treatment or significance from something”