Other forms: objectifications
Objectification is when a person is treated as a thing or an idea is represented by a concrete object. An artist might use objectification when she paints a tree that represents "nature" or a bird that stands for "freedom."
When you take a vague, abstract concept like "love" and give it a solid form (especially in a work of art or writing), you objectify it — that's objectification. A different kind of objectification happens when people treat others like objects, or as nothing more than their physical bodies: "The objectification of women in music videos — using them as props — is one of the least appealing things about the music industry."