alienate Definition
- 1cause someone to feel isolated or estranged
- 2transfer ownership of (property rights) to another person or group
Using alienate: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "alienate" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
His behavior alienated his friends and family.
Example
The new policies have alienated many of the company's employees.
Example
She felt alienated from her classmates because of her accent.
Example
The government has been accused of alienating certain groups with its policies.
Example
He decided to alienate his property to his children before he passed away.
alienate Synonyms and Antonyms
Synonyms for alienate
Antonyms for alienate
- unite
- reconcile
- connect
Phrases with alienate
a legal claim that a married person can make against a third party who interferes in their marriage, causing the loss of affection or companionship of their spouse
Example
She filed for divorce and also sued her husband's mistress for alienation of affection.
self-alienation
the feeling of being disconnected from oneself, one's values, or one's sense of purpose
Example
After years of working in a job she hated, she began to experience self-alienation and decided to make a change.
a provision in a contract that allows one party to terminate the agreement if the other party undergoes a change in ownership or control
Example
The loan agreement included an alienation clause that allowed the lender to call the loan if the borrower sold the collateral.
Origins of alienate
from Latin 'alienatus', past participle of 'alienare', meaning 'to make another's'
Summary: alienate in Brief
'Alienate' [ˈeɪliəneɪt] is a verb that means to cause someone to feel isolated or estranged. It can also refer to transferring ownership of property rights to another person or group. Examples include 'His behavior alienated his friends and family,' and 'He decided to alienate his property to his children before he passed away.' Phrases like 'alienation of affection' and 'self-alienation' extend the concept of alienation to legal claims and personal feelings of disconnection.