noun · 10 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
/ˌeɪli.əˈneɪʃən/
/ˌeɪljəˈneɪʃən/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -eɪʃən
CMU ARPABET:EY2 L IY0 AH0 N EY1 SH AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The act of alienating.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable, usually
Examples
The alienation of that viewing demographic is a poor business decision.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
The state of being alienated.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable, usually
Examples
His alienation from his family means he has nowhere to go at Christmas.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: estrangement
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
Emotional isolation or dissociation, as from being separated from social connections or estranged from one's family or community; a feeling of being an outsider.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable, usually
Examples
I didn't care about anything back then, not holidays or family or my career, I felt utter alienation from everything around me.
When parents get divorced, their child sometimes experiences parental alienation, in which they are estranged from the noncustodial parent.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
Verfremdungseffekt.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable, usually
Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, theater
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
The transfer of property to another person.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable, usually
Topics: law, property
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
The estrangement of people from aspects of their human nature as a consequence of the division of labour and living in a society of stratified social classes (e.g., under capitalism or feudalism).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Marxism, uncountable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
the action of alienating; the action of causing to become unfriendly
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
his behavior alienated the other students
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: action
8
noun
Meaning 8
(law) the voluntary and absolute transfer of title and possession of real property from one person to another
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
the power of alienation is an essential ingredient of ownership
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: transfer, transference
9
noun
Meaning 9
the feeling of being alienated from other people
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: disaffection, estrangement
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: dislike
Narrower terms: isolation
10
noun
Meaning 10
separation resulting from hostility
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: estrangement
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: isolation
History
Etymology
From Middle English alienacioun, borrowed from Old French alienacion, itself borrowed from Latin aliēnātiōn(em).
Across languages
Translations
85 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
отчуждаване
(otčuždavane)
— the act of alienating
Catalan:
alienació
— the act of alienating
Chinese Mandarin:
疏離 /疏离
(shūlí)
— the act of alienating
Dutch:
vervreemden
— the act of alienating
Faroese:
avhending
— the act of alienating
Finnish:
vieraannuttaminen
— the act of alienating
French:
aliénation
— the act of alienating
German:
Entfremdung
— the act of alienating
Indonesian:
alienasi
— the act of alienating
Indonesian:
pengasingan
— the act of alienating
Italian:
alienazione
— the act of alienating
Latin:
aliēnātiō
— the act of alienating
Macedonian:
отуѓување
(otuǵuvanje)
— the act of alienating
Maltese:
tbarrija
— the act of alienating
Old English:
āfremdung
— the act of alienating
Polish:
alienacja
— the act of alienating
Portuguese:
alienação
— the act of alienating
Portuguese:
alheamento
— the act of alienating
Russian:
отчужде́ние
(otčuždénije)
— the act of alienating
Russian:
отдале́ние
(otdalénije)
— the act of alienating
Serbo-Croatian:
алијена́ција
— the act of alienating
Serbo-Croatian:
alijenácija
— the act of alienating
Spanish:
alienación
— the act of alienating
Tatar:
читләшү
(çitläşü)
— the act of alienating
Tatar:
ят итү
(yat itü)
— the act of alienating
Ukrainian:
відчуження
(vidčužennja)
— the act of alienating
Ukrainian:
відчужування
(vidčužuvannja)
— the act of alienating
Ukrainian:
віддалення
(viddalennja)
— the act of alienating
Ukrainian:
збайдужування
(zbajdužuvannja)
— the act of alienating
Bulgarian:
отчужде́ние
(otčuždénie)
— the state of being alienated
Catalan:
alienació
— the state of being alienated
Czech:
odcizení
— the state of being alienated
Dutch:
vervreemd
— the state of being alienated
Finnish:
vieraantuminen
— the state of being alienated
French:
aliénation
— the state of being alienated
Indonesian:
alienasi
— the state of being alienated
Indonesian:
keterasingan
— the state of being alienated
Italian:
alienazione
— the state of being alienated
Macedonian:
отуѓеност
(otuǵenost)
— the state of being alienated
Polish:
wyobcowanie
— the state of being alienated
Polish:
alienacja
— the state of being alienated
Portuguese:
alienação
— the state of being alienated
Russian:
отчуждённость
(otčuždjónnostʹ)
— the state of being alienated
Russian:
отчужде́ние
(otčuždénije)
— the state of being alienated
Serbo-Croatian:
алијена́ција
— the state of being alienated
Serbo-Croatian:
alijenácija
— the state of being alienated
Spanish:
alienación
— the state of being alienated
Turkish:
yabancılaşma
— the state of being alienated
Ukrainian:
відчуженість
(vidčuženistʹ)
— the state of being alienated
Ukrainian:
відчуження
(vidčužennja)
— the state of being alienated
Ukrainian:
віддалення
(viddalennja)
— the state of being alienated
Catalan:
alienació
— emotional isolation or dissociation
Dutch:
vervreemding
— emotional isolation or dissociation
Finnish:
vieraantuminen
— emotional isolation or dissociation
French:
aliénation
— emotional isolation or dissociation
Icelandic:
firring
— emotional isolation or dissociation
Macedonian:
отуѓеност
(otuǵenost)
— emotional isolation or dissociation
Portuguese:
alienação
— emotional isolation or dissociation
Russian:
отчуждённость
(otčuždjónnostʹ)
— emotional isolation or dissociation
Russian:
отчужде́ние
(otčuždénije)
— emotional isolation or dissociation
Serbo-Croatian:
алијена́ција
— emotional isolation or dissociation
Serbo-Croatian:
alijenácija
— emotional isolation or dissociation
Spanish:
alienación
— emotional isolation or dissociation
Turkish:
yabancılaşma
— emotional isolation or dissociation
Ukrainian:
відчуженість
(vidčuženistʹ)
— emotional isolation or dissociation
Ukrainian:
відчуження
(vidčužennja)
— emotional isolation or dissociation
Ukrainian:
віддалення
(viddalennja)
— emotional isolation or dissociation
Ukrainian:
божевілля
(boževillja)
— emotional isolation or dissociation
Ukrainian:
збайдужіння
(zbajdužinnja)
— emotional isolation or dissociation
Ukrainian:
психоз
(psyxoz)
— emotional isolation or dissociation
Dutch:
vervreemding
— transferal of property
Finnish:
luovutus
— transferal of property
French:
aliénation
— transferal of property
German:
Veräußerung
— transferal of property
Italian:
alienazione
— transferal of property
Malay:
pengasingan
— transferal of property
Malay:
penyisihan
— transferal of property
Polish:
alienacja
— transferal of property
Portuguese:
alienação
— transferal of property
Spanish:
enajenación
— transferal of property
Chinese Mandarin:
異化 /异化
(yìhuà)
— estrangement in Marxism
