Reify
/ˈriː.ɪ.faɪ/noun
To treat an abstract idea or concept as though it were a concrete, tangible thing.
Did you know?The word became especially important in modern philosophy and sociology, where reification describes turning human-made concepts—such as money, status, or institutions—into seemingly independent forces.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Latin
Latin
rēs
“Thing, matter, affair, or circumstance”
Classical Latin
Latin
rēs + facere
“To make a thing; the compound pattern later underlying reify”
19th Century
French
réifier
“To turn into a thing; to treat an abstraction as concrete”
1856
English
reify
“To make something real or thing-like in thought”
20th Century
English
reification
“The treatment of an abstraction or social relation as a concrete, independent thing”
Modern English
English
reify
“To regard an abstract idea as a tangible reality”