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 to cause to be withdrawn or isolated from the objective world: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

It’s characteristic of this intelligent but alienating text, which works better as literary criticism than biography, that Bradford feels no need to display any compassion for such a sad, lonely end.

From Washington Post

Many social media companies have been hesitant to come out and say some sources are less trustworthy than others for fear of alienating part of their audience.

From Washington Post

Goldwater wanted to distance himself from the conspiracy theories, but he feared alienating his base.

From Washington Post

He seems to have done much more to alienate the other side, with 54 percent of Democrats having a “very unfavorable” opinion of him.

From Washington Post

Telling a new mother that she is hurting her child will further alienate you from her.

From Washington Post

Do the Republicans want to alienate important constituencies they will need in 2016?

From The Daily Beast

The President did not want to alienate Southern legislators whose votes he needed on his New Deal legislation.

From The Daily Beast

Further violence and escalation of the events into a civil war would only alienate him from the bulk of the Ukrainian people.

From The Daily Beast

Positioning yourself against President Obama is a good way to alienate the most important constituency in the Democratic Party.

From The Daily Beast

That may work spectacularly well, or it may alienate some users.

From The Daily Beast

A Christian who would attain perfection, ought to drive away from his mind all that can alienate him from heaven—his true country.

From Project Gutenberg

In 1790 Pitt was opposing his wishes elsewhere; he was unwilling to alienate him altogether, and agreed to put pressure on Russia.

From Project Gutenberg

Such cruel insinuations can never alienate from you the friends who love you.

From Project Gutenberg

He lampooned the prince regent, yet he could not alienate the Tories.

From Project Gutenberg

We could not see what should again alienate us from one another, or how one brother could again oppress another.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• disaffect
• divide
• estrange
• separate
• turn off