alienate
Americanverb (used with object)
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to make indifferent or hostile.
By refusing to get a job, he has alienated his entire family.
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to cause to be withdrawn or isolated from the objective world.
Bullying alienates already shy students from their classmates.
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to turn away; transfer or divert.
to alienate funds from their intended purpose.
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Law. to transfer or convey, as title, property, or other right, to another.
to alienate lands.
verb
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to cause (a friend, sympathizer, etc) to become indifferent, unfriendly, or hostile; estrange
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to turn away; divert
to alienate the affections of a person
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law to transfer the ownership of (property, title, etc) to another person
Related Words
See estrange.
Other Word Forms
- alienator noun
- nonalienating adjective
- realienate verb (used with object)
- unalienating adjective
Etymology
Origin of alienate
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
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But, last year, Khartoum turned down a proposal to set up a naval base controlled by Tehran to avoid alienating the U.S. and Israel, according to Sudanese officials.
The self-consciousness of his expression can be alienating, even arch.
The Union, New Jersey-based company is trying to turn around its business after taking on too much debt, being slow to embrace online sales and alienating consumers by de-emphasizing brand-name products.
From Reuters
“We knew that was of the utmost importance, so that we’re not alienating an audience that doesn’t know D&D.”
From New York Times
And yet you know your take on the drag bill is potentially alienating to some in your audience.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
