Definition of alienate
alienated
;alienating
transitive verb
1 : to cause to be estranged : to make unfriendly, hostile, or indifferent especially where attachment formerly existed He alienated most of his colleagues with his bad temper. Her position on this issue has alienated many former supporters.
2 : to convey or transfer (something, such as property or a right) usually by a specific act rather than the due course of law
3 : to cause to be withdrawn or diverted alienate capital from its natural channels
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Recent Examples of alienate from the Web
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The suits would alienate important trading partners such as Canada and EU countries whose citizens have invested in Cuba.
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Some avoid politics for fear of alienating some portion of their audience.
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The president declined to back the NATO alliance and alienated his fellow G-7 members on everything from Russia to climate change.
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Trump’s moves have alienated allies who game out how to one-up the president.
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But is also the result of Conservative missteps on social policies, including a platform launch that managed to alienate older voters — usually among the party’s staunchest supporters.
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But though Scribner worried that including it would alienate Wilson’s supporters, Wharton insisted.
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The legislators sponsoring and backing the subsequent bills were largely Republicans, potentially further alienating mostly left-leaning Austinites.
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Watters was more interested in the political content, and how Rundgren’s position might alienate some fans.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'alienate'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of alienate
see 1alien
Synonym Discussion of alienate
Other Psychology Terms
ALIENATE Defined for English Language Learners
alienate
playDefinition of alienate for English Language Learners
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: to make (someone) unfriendly : to cause (someone) to stop being friendly, helpful, etc., towards you
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: to cause (someone) to feel that she or he no longer belongs in a particular group, society, etc.
ALIENATE Defined for Kids
alienate
playDefinition of alienate for Students
alienated
;alienating
: to cause (a person who used to be friendly or loyal) to become unfriendly or disloyal She alienated most of her friends with her bad temper.
Medical Dictionary
alienate
playMedical Definition of alienate
alienated
;alienating
: to make unfriendly, hostile, or indifferent where attachment formerly existed
Law Dictionary
alienate
playLegal Definition of alienate
alienated
alienating
: to give away or sell (property or a property right) to another will not sell, transfer, assign, hypothecate or otherwise alienate any of his voting shares — Strickland v. Rahaim, 549 So. 2d 58 (1989) — compare devise
Origin and Etymology of alienate
Latin alienare, from alienus not one's own
Learn More about alienate
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See words that rhyme with alienate Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for alienate Spanish Central: Translation of alienate Nglish: Translation of alienate for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of alienate for Arabic speakers
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