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Definition of othering

othering

/ˈʌð.ɚ.ɪŋ/
oth · er · ing
Plural:otherings
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othering Lexical Profile

othering Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

The act or process of viewing, labeling, or treating a person or group of people as intrinsically different from and alien to oneself or the dominant social group, often resulting in exclusion or marginalization.

Example

"The sociological study examined how media narratives can perpetuate the othering of immigrant communities."

Synonyms
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Antonyms
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• Rhymes for othering

• Nearby Words

osun
oswego tea
other
othering
otherness
otherwise
otherworld

Word Origin & Etymology

Coined in late 20th-century postcolonial and feminist critical theory (notably by Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak in 1985), formed from the verb 'other' plus the suffix '-ing' to describe how dominant groups construct subordinate groups as fundamentally alien.

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Othering. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/othering
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