demystify

[ dee-mis-tuh-fahy ]

verb (used with object)

, de·mys·ti·fied, de·mys·ti·fy·ing.

1. to rid of mystery or obscurity; clarify:

   to demystify medical procedures.

demystify

/ diːˈmɪstɪˌfaɪ /

verb

1. tr to remove the mystery from; make clear

Derived Forms

• deˌmystifiˈcation, noun

Other Words From

• de·mysti·fi·cation noun
• de·mysti·fier noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of demystify¹

First recorded in 1960–65; de- + mystify

Example Sentences

She wrote her first book, Dr Ruth's Guide to Good Sex, in 1983 in which she aimed to demystify sex.

From BBC

The goal was to demystify the technology for the chamber’s roughly 2,000 members, especially its small businesses.

From New York Times

It was all part of Anadol’s overarching project to make the invisible visible: to demystify A.I., show where the data used in it comes from and trace the origins of the whooshing and undulating images that audiences see onscreen.

From New York Times

For teens unfamiliar with NATO, war and world politics, Björkwall’s new syllabus seeks to demystify topics his students see online.

From Seattle Times

Pasulka seeks to demystify this growing phenomenon, suggesting that the truth is far stranger than fiction.

From Salon

Related Words

• disparage
• mock
• puncture