Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

reify

/ˈɹiː.ə.faɪ/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.55 in modern English

Syllables: reify
IPA: /ˈɹiː.ə.faɪ/

11

Scrabble Score

5

Letters

1

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To regard something abstract as if it were a concrete material thing.

Transitive verb

Example Sentences

"What I've always appreciated about this concept of coincidence ... is how it reifies our search for causality, our need to establish logical connections among disparate events."

Etymology

Back-formation from reification, calque from German. Formed as Latin rēs (“thing”) + -ify (English suffix).

Word Breakdown

Suffix: ify

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈɹiː.ə.faɪ/
British English: /ˈɹiː.ə.faɪ/

Usage

Transitive verb

Inflected Forms

reifies (present, singular) reifying (participle, present) reified (participle, past) reified (past)

Derived Forms

dereification dereify reifiable reification reifier unreified

Frequently Paired Words

conceptualize hypostatize personify realize

Synonyms

concretize objectify picture thingify

Questions

How do you pronounce reify?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈɹiː.ə.faɪ/.
What does reify mean?: To regard something abstract as if it were a concrete material thing.
Where does reify come from?: Back-formation from reification, calque from German. Formed as Latin rēs (“thing”) + -ify (English suffix).

How to pronounce reify

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “reify”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈɹiː.ə.faɪ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “reify”.
Repeat and practice — Say “reify” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.