Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • transitive verb To treat or condescend to as if still a young child.
  • transitive verb To reduce to an infantile state or condition.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb transitive To reduce (a person) to the state or status of an infant.
  • verb transitive To treat (a person) like a child.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

infantile +‎ -ize (“make into”)

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