reification n.

"with reference to," used from c. 1700 in legalese, from Latin (in) re "in the matter of," from ablative of res "property, goods; matter, thing, affair," from Proto-Italic *re-, from PIE *reh-i- "wealth, goods" (source also of Sanskrit rayi- "property, goods," Avestan raii-i- "wealth"). Its non-legalese use is execrated by Fowler in three different sections of "Modern English Usage."

word-forming element meaning "a making or causing," from Latin -ficationem (nominative -ficatio), forming nouns of action from verbs in -ficare (compare -fy), combining form of facere "to make," from PIE root *dhe- "to set, put."

"make mentally into a thing; make (an abstraction) real or material; consider as a thing," 1854, a back-formation from reification or else from re-, stem of Latin res "thing, object; matter, affair, event; circumstance, condition" (see re) + -fy. Related: Reified; reifying.