Fetishization

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The process of elevating certain objects or ideas to an exaggerated status within a cultural or personal framework
2. The practice of ascribing excessive value or importance to specific traits or items, often ignoring their broader context
3. The act of attributing undue significance or power to particular items or concepts, often beyond their actual value

Etymology: Fetishization is a plain formation: the noun "fetish" with the suffixes "-ize" and "-ation" attached. The base word has travelled a long road. It comes from Portuguese "feitiço", meaning a charm or spell, which in turn came from Latin "facticius", "made by art", the source of English "factitious". Portuguese traders on the West African coast applied the word to objects they saw being venerated, and French and English writers later took it up, first for those ritual objects and then for any object that was thought to hold power. The "-ize" part arrived in English through Latin and Greek roots, and "-ation" comes via French from Latin "-ātiō". Together they turn the base into a verb and then a noun for the action of doing it. The sense has moved a long way from the original idea of a crafted object. The term now describes a habit of mind: treating one feature, product or person as more significant than the whole situation justifies, and losing sight of the context around it.

Synonyms: objectification, idolization