desensitization
[ dee-sen-si-tuh-zey-shuh n ]
/ diˌsɛn sɪ təˈzeɪ ʃən /
noun
the act or process of desensitizing.
Physiology, Medicine/Medical.
the elimination or reduction of natural or acquired reactivity or sensitivity to an external stimulus, as an allergen.
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.
Origin of desensitization
First recorded in 1920–25;
desensitize +
-ation
Words nearby desensitization
desecrate,
deseed,
desegregate,
desegregation,
deselect,
desensitization,
desensitize,
deseret,
deserpidine,
desert,
desert a sinking ship
Example sentences from the Web for desensitization
Medical definitions for desensitization
desensitization
[ dē-sĕn′sĭ-tĭ-zā′shən ]
n.
The reduction or abolition of allergic sensitivity or reactions to a specific allergen.
antianaphylaxis
The mitigation of an individual's emotional response to a distressing stimulus by repeated exposure to or imagination of that stimulus.