Other

alienate

Definition of alienate

[with object]

1make (someone) feel isolated or estranged:an urban environment which would alienate its inhabitants (as adjective alienated)an alienated, angst-ridden twenty-two-year-old
make (someone) become unsympathetic or hostile:the association does not wish to alienate its members

2 Law transfer ownership of (property rights) to another person or group: they defended the Masai against attempts to alienate their land

Phrases

alienate someone's affections: US Law induce someone to transfer their affection from a person (such as a spouse) with legal rights or claims on them: he sued him for alienating his wife’s affections

early 16th century: from Latin alienat- 'estranged', from the verb alienare, from alienus 'of another' (see alien)

Definition of alienate in the US English dictionary

Nearby words