alienate

[ ey-lee-uh-neyt, eyl-yuh- ]

verb (used with object)

, al·ien·at·ed, al·ien·at·ing.

1. to make indifferent or hostile:

   By refusing to get a job, he has alienated his entire family.

2. to cause to be withdrawn or isolated from the objective world:

   Bullying alienates already shy students from their classmates.

3. to turn away; transfer or divert:

   to alienate funds from their intended purpose.

4. Law. to transfer or convey, as title, property, or other right, to another:

   to alienate lands.

alienate

/ ˈeɪlɪə-; ˈeɪljəˌneɪt /

verb

1. to cause (a friend, sympathizer, etc) to become indifferent, unfriendly, or hostile; estrange
2. to turn away; divert

   to alienate the affections of a person

3. law to transfer the ownership of (property, title, etc) to another person

Derived Forms

• ˈalienˌator, noun

Other Words From

• al·ien·a·tor noun
• non·al·ien·at·ing adjective
• re·al·ien·ate verb (used with object) realienated realienating
• un·al·ien·at·ing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of alienate¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin aliēnātus (past participle of aliēnāre “to transfer by sale, estrange”), equivalent to aliēn(us) “belonging to another, another's, foreign, alien ” + -ātus -ate ¹

Synonym Study

See estrange.

Example Sentences

If you look into your heart, you know deep down that predatory capitalism has us all sick and has enabled a war and prison industry, that our society is configured in ways that divide and alienate us from what is our best nature, that the two-party system entrenches power.

From Salon

If they fall too far down the rabbit hole, such as by believing in Trump’s Big Lie that he won the 2020 election or the QAnon claims of Jewish world control, they often alienate themselves from loved ones who do not share those extreme views.

From Salon

He said radicals within the party had “managed to alienate historic numbers of Latinos, Blacks, Asians, and Jews from the Democratic Party with absurdities like ‘Defund the Police’ or ‘From the River to the Sea’ or ‘Latinx’”.

From BBC

“We would alienate much of our population, much of our community, by doing anything like that. So it would make no sense for us to do that.”

From Los Angeles Times

Perhaps it’s smart politics to play within the system, to give the policies you care about a fighting chance, to not alienate the guy in charge before he’s even taken office.

From Slate

Related Words

• disaffect
• divide
• estrange
• separate
• turn off