otherize

Etymology

From other + -ize.

otherize means to make or regard (a person, social group, etc.) as alien or different. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 87 out of 100.

Why “otherize” is a great word

OTHERIZE — [Verb] To make or regard a person or social group as alien, different, and separate from one's own. From the adjective 'other' (meaning different, alien) + the verb-forming suffix '-ize' (meaning to render, make, or become). First recorded in use around 2000–05. Unlike "ostracize" (which enacts a formal exclusion) or "differentiate" (which neutrally notes distinction), to otherize is the foundational cognitive act of constructing a boundary of fundamental difference. It is the subtle shift in a pronoun from 'we' to 'they,' the administrative form with no box for you to check, and the casual anecdote that begins, 'They all…'—the quiet, corrosive engine of estrangement that precedes every wall.

verb

To make or regard (a person, social group, etc.) as alien or different.