desensitization

American  

[dee-sen-si-tuh-zey-shuhn] / diˌsɛn sɪ təˈzeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of desensitizing.

2. Physiology, Medicine/Medical. the elimination or reduction of natural or acquired reactivity or sensitivity to an external stimulus, as an allergen.

3. Psychiatry. a behavior modification technique, used especially in treating phobias, in which panic or other undesirable emotional response to a given stimulus is reduced or extinguished, especially by repeated exposure to that stimulus.

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Etymology

Origin of desensitization

First recorded in 1920–25; desensitize + -ation