anthropomorphize

American  

[an-thruh-puh-mawr-fahyz] / ˌæn θrə pəˈmɔr faɪz /

especially British, anthropomorphise

verb (used with or without object)

anthropomorphized, anthropomorphizing

1. to ascribe human form or attributes to (an animal, plant, material object, etc.).

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anthropomorphize British  

/ ˌænθrəpəˈmɔːfaɪz /

verb

1. to attribute or ascribe human form or behaviour to (a god, animal, object, etc)

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Other Word Forms

• anthropomorphization noun

Etymology

Origin of anthropomorphize

First recorded in 1835–45; anthropomorph(ic) ( def. ) + -ize

Example Sentences

Humans have a tendency to anthropomorphize animals and even inanimate objects, says Ayanna Howard, dean of Ohio State University’s College of Engineering and a roboticist who has researched why humans blindly trust machines.

From The Wall Street Journal

She calls the chatbot “it” but says she also finds anthropomorphizing the model helpful for her work.

From The Wall Street Journal

The houses in “Chicago Homes” are lovingly described and unapologetically anthropomorphized.

From The Wall Street Journal

The author acknowledges the risk of anthropomorphizing but finds the totality of evidence persuasive.

From The Wall Street Journal

The piece emphasizes that “artificial intelligence” is fundamentally a marketing term rather than a scientific one, arguing that AI promoters exploit public misunderstanding by anthropomorphizing chatbots and labeling their mistakes as “hallucinations.”

From Los Angeles Times