alienate

C1 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˈeɪ.li.ə.neɪt/ See IPA manual

Freq #31685

Meanings

1

verb
To make someone stop being friendly or supportive towards you.

His rude comments alienated many of his closest friends.
2

verb
To make someone feel that they do not belong or cannot relate to others.

The new policy alienated younger members of the club.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to make someone stop being... estrange antagonize

2 verb · to make someone feel that... isolate marginalize

Opposites

accept befriend

Word family

Forms alienatedalienatesalienating

Derived forms abalienaterealienateunalienate

Etymology

From Middle English alienat(e) (“deranged; uncertain; sequestred, secluded”), from Latin aliēnātus, perfect passive participle of aliēnō (“to estrange, alienate”) (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from aliēnus. by surface analysis, alien + -ate. See alien, and compare aliene.

alienat Middle English aliēnātus Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# alienate

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈeɪ.li.ə.neɪt/
**Frequency rank:** 31685

## Meanings
1. To make someone stop being friendly or supportive towards you.
2. To make someone feel that they do not belong or cannot relate to others.

## Examples
- His rude comments alienated many of his closest friends.
- The new policy alienated younger members of the club.

## Antonyms
- accept
- befriend

## Derived Forms
- abalienate
- realienate
- unalienate

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: alienat
- Root: aliēnātus

## Etymology
From Middle English alienat(e) (“deranged; uncertain; sequestred, secluded”), from Latin aliēnātus, perfect passive participle of aliēnō (“to estrange, alienate”) (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from aliēnus. by surface analysis, alien + -ate. See alien, and compare aliene.

## AI Etymology
Alienate is from Middle English alienat(e) (“deranged; uncertain; sequestred, secluded”), from Latin aliēnātus, perfect passive participle of aliēnō (“to estrange, alienate”) (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from aliēnus. By surface analysis, alien + -ate. See alien, and compare aliene. In present-day use, it can mean to make someone stop being friendly or supportive towards you, or to make someone feel that they do not belong or cannot relate to others. Derived formations include abalienate, realienate, unalienate.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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