to cause (a friend, sympathizer, etc) to become indifferent, unfriendly, or hostile; estrange to turn away; divert: to alienate the affections of a person to transfer the ownership of (property, title, etc) to another person
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
al•ien•ate /ˈeɪlyəˌneɪt, ˈeɪliə-/USA pronunciation
v. [~ + object], -at•ed, -at•ing.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025- to cause (someone) to be hostile or indifferent:He has alienated most of his friends.
- LawLaw. to convey (title, property, etc.) to another: to alienate lands.
al•ien•ate
(āl′yə nāt′, ā′lē ə-),USA pronunciation v.t., -at•ed, -at•ing.
al′ien•a′tor, n.
- to make indifferent or hostile:He has alienated his entire family.
- to turn away;
transfer or divert:to alienate funds from their intended purpose. - Lawto transfer or convey, as title, property, or other right, to another:to alienate lands.
- Latin aliēnātus (past participle of aliēnāre), equivalent. to aliēn(us) alien + -ātus -ate1
- late Middle English 1400–50
- 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged See estrange.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
'alienate' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
alienation
- alienor
- amortize
- deracinate
- disaffect
- disunite
- divest
- divide
- estrange
- turn