personify
UK: pəˈsɒnɪfaɪ | US: pərˈsɑːnɪfaɪ
vt. to attribute human characteristics to something non-human
vt. to represent or embody a quality or concept in human form
vt. to serve as a perfect example of a particular trait or idea
The word "personify" emerged in the 18th century, combining "person" (rooted in the Latin idea of identity) with "-ify" (a suffix for creating verbs). It reflects the human tendency to project our own traits onto abstract concepts (e.g., "Justice is personified as a blindfolded woman") or natural phenomena (e.g., "The wind howled angrily"). The morphemes preserve their original spellings while clearly conveying the action of "making something human-like."
The artist chose to personify death as a shadowy figure holding an hourglass.
Many cultures personify nature through gods and goddesses.
The novel personifies greed through its villain, who hoards wealth obsessively.
She seemed to personify elegance in her graceful movements.
The slogan "Uncle Sam" personifies the U.S. government as a patriotic old man.