Unsentimentalizing

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The process of removing emotional bias or tenderness from a situation or expression; making something more objective and factual; reducing sentimental or nostalgic feelings in a context
2. The act of taking away sentimental qualities or romantic notions from a narrative or judgment; emphasizing practicality and realism over emotion; stripping affection or idealization from a subject
3. A process by which emotional warmth or softness is diminished in perception or communication; fostering a more detached and sober viewpoint; eliminating sentimental attitudes or expressions from an idea or work

Etymology: "Unsentimentalizing" is the present participle and gerund of "unsentimentalize", a verb meaning to strip something of sentiment or emotional feeling. It is built from "sentimentalize", which itself comes from "sentimental", and the chain of prefix and suffixes shows how the meaning works. The prefix "un-" reverses the action, "sentimentalize" adds the sense of making something emotionally charged, and the "-ing" ending turns the whole verb into a continuous action, so the word describes the ongoing process of removing that emotional coloring.

Synonyms: rationalizing, objectifying, detaching, deemotionalizing, dispassionating

Antonyms: sentimentalizing, romanticizing, emotionalizing