Recently, scholars’ attention has been captured by a dramatic form of social discrimination that is characterized by deprivation or denial of others’ humanness, that is, dehumanization. Since the beginning of the study of such phenomenon, dehumanization has been analyzed under the shape of animalization, pointing to a lowering comparison targeting others and the association, both explicit or implicit, of individuals or entire social groups to lower, animal, less than human beings. The current contribution highlights blatant forms of animalization, with specific attention to the role of language in communicating a lowered perception of others, as well as more subtle forms of animalization, which are demanding the same. Pervasiveness of the phenomenon will be highlighted by tackling its heinous social cognitive and behavioral consequences and by stressing the chances to hinder such outcomes.
