enemy alien

[ en-uh-mee ey-lee-uhn, eyl-yuhn ]

noun

1. a person residing in a country at war with the country of which they are a citizen.

Word History and Origins

Origin of enemy alien¹

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

Picasso — who had not previously sought citizenship — may have been motivated by fears of an imminent Spanish-German alliance, which would have classified him as an enemy alien.

From Washington Post

He was transferred from an Immigration and Naturalization Service facility in Montana to the center for enemy alien internees in Louisiana.

From Los Angeles Times

But at least he was given a hearing before an Enemy Alien Hearing Board by the Department of Justice under the Geneva Convention.

From Los Angeles Times

During World War II, the government deemed Joe DiMaggio’s father an enemy alien, seized his fishing boat and banned him from San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf.

From Washington Post

Woven throughout is the story of Vincent Cortese, a photographer whose camera is taken away from him due to his status as an “enemy alien.”

From Los Angeles Times