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

Example sentences from the Web for desensitization

Medical definitions for desensitization

desensitization
[ dē-sĕnsĭ-tĭ-zāshən ]

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.