impersonalise

The new policy seemed to impersonalise the entire customer service experience.

Definition

1. Verb:
   • To deprive of individual human character or identity: "impersonalise" means to make something (such as a process, environment, or relationship) less personal, less human, or less connected to individual people. It often involves removing subjective, emotional, or unique personal qualities.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • The new automated system tends to impersonalise customer service. (The system removes the personal touch from interactions.)
  • Large corporations often impersonalise their hiring process by using standardised tests. (They make the process less focused on individual applicants.)

Advanced Usage

• "to impersonalise a workplace": to create an environment where personal relationships and individual expression are minimised.

  • The open-plan office design can impersonalise the work environment, making employees feel like numbers. (It reduces personal connection.)

• "to impersonalise communication": to use formal, generic language instead of addressing someone directly.

  • Email templates often impersonalise messages, making them feel robotic. (They lack personal warmth.)

Variants and Related Words

• Impersonal (adj): not influenced by, showing, or involving personal feelings; lacking human warmth.

  • The hotel room was clean but felt impersonal. (It lacked character or homeliness.)

• Impersonality (n): the quality of being impersonal; lack of human warmth or individual character.

  • The impersonality of the automated phone system frustrated customers. (The lack of personal interaction.)

• Personalise (v): the opposite of impersonalise; to make something personal or individual.

  • She personalised her desk with photos and plants. (She added personal touches.)

Synonyms

• Dehumanise: to deprive of human qualities or individuality.
• Standardise: to make uniform or consistent, often at the cost of personal character.
• Depersonalise: to remove personal or individual features.

Related Idioms

• "lose the human touch": to become impersonal, especially in business or technology.

  • When companies rely too much on chatbots, they lose the human touch. (They become impersonal.)

• "treat like a number": to deal with someone without recognising their individuality.

  • In a huge bureaucracy, you can feel treated like a number. (You are impersonalised.)