alienated

[ ey-lee-uh-ney-tid, eyl-yuh- ]

adjective

1. indifferent or hostile:

   A year after the floods, the failure of the promised rehabilitation package has fed an already alienated populace's sense of hurt and anger towards the government.

2. withdrawn or isolated from the objective world:

   Albert Camus's novel The Stranger is the story of an alienated, unfeeling man who kills someone for no reason and dies without remorse.

3. turned away from its original purpose or course; transferred or diverted:

   The investment firm, which misappropriated millions of dollars committed to it, was required to restore the alienated funds to the plaintiff.

4. Law. (of property, title, rights, etc.) transferred or conveyed to another:

   Much reservation territory is now owned and controlled by non-Indigenous people, depriving Indigenous nations of billions of dollars in potential income from these alienated lands.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of alienate ( def ).

Other Words From

• un·al·ien·at·ed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of alienated¹

alienate ( def ) + -ed ²

Example Sentences

The other big reason why Latino men went for Trump is the Democratic Party, which took them for granted for decades and has alienated them repeatedly during the Trump era.

From Los Angeles Times

His ferocity and flights of fancy alienated some voters, but endeared him to many others, who considered him more authentic than standard-issue politicians.

From Los Angeles Times

Will a tide of resentful, low-propensity voters, understandably alienated from the undemocratic status quo and eager to punish the so-called elites, deliver a death-blow to democracy?

From Salon

"If you could lock down some of the potential voters who are registered, who are saying, 'I haven't decided yet,' or 'I'm alienated from both candidates,' I think you would see them both, up until the very end, trying to flip those voters and turn them out — tooth and nail to the end."

From Salon

If they're feeling lonely or alienated, being a jerk results in being shunned even more, especially by women.

From Salon

Related Words

• disaffected