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Glite Dictionary
to stifle individuality

to stifle individuality

1 7.7
To stop people from showing their own style or ideas
  • phrasal verb
  • /ˈstaɪfəl ˌɪndɪˈvɪdʒuˌælɪti/
translation icon : sofocar la individualidad
  • It stifles individuality!

Examples

  • The strict dress code at the school tends to stifle individuality among the students.

  • Policies that restrict creative expression can stifle individuality in the workplace.

  • When leaders impose their ideas without room for discussion, they often stifle individuality within the team.

Antonyms

to individuate
3 8.3

To give someone or something their own identity

Surface Forms

stifle individuality infinitive
stifled individuality past
stifled individuality past participle
stifling individuality present participle
stifles individuality third person singular

Morphology

stifle + individuality

The meaning 'to suppress the unique character or self-expression' follows directly from combining 'stifle' (to hold back or suppress) with 'individuality' (distinctive qualities). This straightforward verb + noun composition is semantically compositional and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both words should be able to infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Stifle individuality uses stifle in its older, literal sense of choking or covering something so it cannot breathe or speak, and individuality means a person's own style and voice. One clear image is someone putting a hand over another's mouth to stop them being themselves, so the phrase means 'to hold back' or stop a person's natural expression.