Disembellish

To remove embellishments or decorations; to simplify; to strip away ornamentation or elaborate detail, often to reveal a more fundamental or honest representation of something. This can apply to art, writing, architecture, or even personal accounts. The act implies a conscious effort to reduce complexity or grandeur, highlighting essential elements and removing unnecessary additions that might obscure the original form or meaning. The aim is often to achieve a more direct, unadulterated, and sometimes stark aesthetic or conceptual clarity. It could also be viewed as the act of making the narrative objective and fair from bias.

Disembellish meaning with examples

• The critic urged the director to disembellish the opulent set design, believing it distracted from the raw emotional power of the actors. They thought by removing these aspects, the story itself would be stronger.
• Before publishing her memoir, the author decided to disembellish several anecdotes, focusing on the core events rather than adding dramatic flair. Her goal was to be direct and accurate to the core of events.
• To gain more clarity, the research team had to disembellish the existing data set, removing irrelevant variables to isolate the key factors contributing to the observed phenomenon.
• The architect opted to disembellish the building's facade, replacing ornate carvings with clean lines to create a modern, minimalist aesthetic, stripping back the embellishments to find the perfect look.