enemy alien

American  

[en-uh-mee ey-lee-uhn, eyl-yuhn] / ˈɛn ə mi ˈeɪ li ən, ˈeɪl yən /

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of enemy alien

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 • Mar. 22, 2023

It is the story of how a small act of courage helped turn an "enemy alien" into an American hero.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 3, 2017

The British were very lenient towards him, only imprisoning him as an enemy alien for the duration of the war.

From Time • Feb. 8, 2016

On arrival, he was arrested, interned as an enemy alien and shipped to Douglas, to be housed in Camp P in Hutchinson Square.

From BBC • Sep. 27, 2013

At the moment he was technically an "enemy alien."

From Jimgrim and Allah's Peace by Mundy, Talbot