alienation

noun

alien·​ation ˌā-lē-ə-ˈnā-shən How to pronounce alienation (audio)
ˌāl-yə-
Synonyms of alienation
1
: a withdrawing or separation of a person or a person's affections from an object or position of former attachment : estrangement
Alienation … from the values of one's society and family.—S. L. Halleck
2
: a conveyance of property to another

Synonyms of alienation

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of alienation in a Sentence

after years of alienation from her family, she became reconciled with them when her father fell ill
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
On his latest, Young’s major-key meditations on love and alienation are as winsome as a bay breeze, if occasionally as insubstantial. — Linnie Greene, Pitchfork, 20 Oct. 2026 Western alienation and grievances against Ottawa date back decades, including to the administrations of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, Justin Trudeau's father, during the 1970s and 1980s. — Sheena Rossiter, NPR, 19 Oct. 2026 In a world shaped by digital alienation, which feels increasingly unstable, Kate Berlant finds solace in stand-up. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 19 Oct. 2026 The pandemic supercharged a separatist movement long fueled by Western alienation — resentment of Ottawa over federal power and energy policies — drawing in activists angry over COVID-19 restrictions, some influenced by conspiracy theories. — ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for alienation

Word History

Etymology

Middle English alienacioun "transference of property rights, derangement, estrangement," borrowed from Anglo-French alienaciun, alienation, borrowed from Latin aliēnātiōn-, aliēnātiō "transference of ownership, estrangement, hostility" (mentis aliēnātiō "mental disorder, insanity"), from aliēnāre "to transfer (goods, property) to another, render hostile, estrange" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at alienate

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of alienation was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing alienation

Rhymes for alienation

See All Rhymes for alienation

Browse Nearby Words

alienated
alienation
alienation of affection
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Alienation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alienation. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

alienation

noun
alien·​ation ˌā-lē-ə-ˈnā-shən How to pronounce alienation (audio)
ˌāl-yə-ˈnā-
1
: a withdrawing or separation of a person or a person's affection from an object of past attachment
2
: a transfer of property to another

Medical Definition

alienation

noun
alien·​ation ˌā-lē-ə-ˈnā-shən, ˌāl-yə- How to pronounce alienation (audio)
: a withdrawing or separation of a person or a person's affections from an object or position of former attachment
alienation … from the values of one's society and family—S. L. Halleck

More from Merriam-Webster on alienation

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about alienation

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All