estrangement

[ ih-streynj-muhnt ]

/ ɪˈstreɪndʒ mənt /

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See synonyms for estrangement on Thesaurus.com

noun

the state of being alienated or separated in feeling or affection; a state of hostility or unfriendliness:Since the summer there’s been a rift in the family over something that my daughter posted online, and I still can't figure out how this estrangement occurred over something so silly.Diplomatic relations between the two nations were officially restored after more than five decades of estrangement.

the state of being separated or removed:After years of forced estrangement, the families of people living in the vast refugee camp are finally beginning to get some news of their relatives there.

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Origin of estrangement

estrange + -ment

OTHER WORDS FROM estrangement

self-es·trange·ment, noun

Words nearby estrangement

estragon, estral, estramustine phosphate sodium, estrange, estranged, estrangement, Estratest, estray, estreat, Estrela mountain dog, Estremadura

How to use estrangement in a sentence

You have taken your disappointment and magnified it into a blooming estrangement.
Ask Amy: Family member wanted to Zoom to a wedding|Amy Dickinson|September 26, 2021|Washington Post
In other words, you proceed in such a manner that puts the responsibility for their next familial estrangement precisely where it belongs.
Carolyn Hax: Father and stepmother object to girlfriend because she’s ‘heavy’|Carolyn Hax|September 2, 2021|Washington Post
For income, Lala braids hair along the beach, estranged from Wilma, who has sniffed the corruption on Adan and turned her face away.
‘How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House,’ by Cherie Jones, is a stunning debut|Hamilton Cain|February 2, 2021|Washington Post
As you've noted, often these estrangements carry on through generations.
Ask Amy: Elevator rider worries covid is ‘going up’|Amy Dickinson|December 27, 2020|Washington Post

That not only includes you in any further estrangement he chooses, but also increases the likelihood he’ll choose it.
Carolyn Hax: How to gauge a brother’s distance|Carolyn Hax|December 18, 2020|Washington Post
Poverty, alienation, estrangement, continuously aggravated by racism, overt and institutional.
‘Why Have I Lost Control?’: Cory Booker in ’92 on Rodney King Echoes Ferguson|Cory Booker|November 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Those views contribute to a sense of estrangement Muslims feel from the rest of British society.
It'll Take More Than Bombs to Stop ISIS|Dean Obeidallah|September 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The estrangement, as emotional as it is physical, will be 21 years old in August.
Life as an Undocumented Immigrant|Jose Antonio Vargas|April 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
So where exactly is the line that a family member must cross for estrangement to be justified and furthermore not stigmatized?
Should You Divorce Your Family After the Holidays?|Keli Goff|January 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Her departure from her kids when they were young was like a severing of relations, an estrangement that has not eased to this day.
‘The Distance Between Us’ by Reyna Grande|Lorenza Muñoz|September 23, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Absolute estrangement had followed the birth of their child nearly twenty years ago.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke
Though Castiglione thus brought him fresh honours, it nearly caused an estrangement between him and his chief.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
Marmont indignantly refused to go in such a capacity, and a permanent estrangement nearly took place.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
These discussions ended in an estrangement, for some time, between the two cronies.
Repertory Of The Comedie Humaine, Complete, A -- Z|Anatole Cerfberr and Jules Franois Christophe
There was a scene, however, which particularly marked the moment when in the life of this husband and wife estrangement began.
Juana|Honore de Balzac