Defamiliarize

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To cause something familiar to seem strange or unusual; to change perception so that ordinary things appear new or different; to disrupt normal recognition or understanding of something
2. To alter the way one usually views something so it seems unfamiliar or novel; to introduce a perspective that transforms the commonplace into something strikingly fresh; to challenge habitual impressions by making the known appear bizarre
3. To make a known object or concept lose its usual meaning or familiarity; to shift awareness so that what was once common is seen in an unfamiliar light; to reframe experience so ordinary elements become unexpectedly distinct

Etymology: The verb "defamiliarize" is built from the prefix "de-" and "familiarize", so its history is essentially the history of "familiarize" with a reversing prefix added. "De-" comes from Latin "dē", meaning "down", "away" or "reversal", and attaches to a verb to undo or remove the action it names. "Familiarize" in turn combines "familiar", borrowed from Latin "familiaris" (relating to the household, from "familia"), with the suffix "-ize", which passed through Late Latin and Greek-derived forms before reaching English. The suffix and the prefix are both productive tools in English, which is why the word can be assembled on demand. Whatever "familiarize" makes common or intimate, "defamiliarize" takes that quality away. The result is a word that describes an effect rather than an object: the moment when something you know well suddenly looks strange again.

Synonyms: estrange, alienate, disorient, distance, unfamiliarize

Antonyms: familiarize, acquaint, accustom, orient, acculturate