infantilize

verb

Etymology: Etymology tree English infantile Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō)bor. Late Latin -izōder. Middle French -iserbor. Middle English -isen English -ize English infantilize From infantile + -ize (“make into”).

1. To reduce (an adult) to the state or status of an infant.

   “For too long, many of us have sought unity by binding ourselves together with the umbilical cords of dogma. They have done less and less to nurture us in recent years, and more and more to infantilize us.”

2. To treat (an adult) like a child.