ENGLISH
REFERENCE

alien

n. · adj. · v.
US //ˈeɪɫiən// UK //ˈeɪliən// alien
  1. 1 extraterrestrial (n.)
    B1 Intermediate Science

    a creature from another planet.

    a hypothetical or fictional being from a world other than Earth.

    Example

    The movie is about a friendly alien who gets lost on Earth.

    Example

    Science fiction often explores how humanity might react to the arrival of an alien species with superior technology.
    • earthling
  2. 2 foreign national (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Formal Law

    a person who lives in a country but is a citizen of a different country.

    a person who is not a national or citizen of the country in which they are residing.

    Example

    The government issued new work permits for resident aliens.

    Example

    The legal distinction between a resident alien and a naturalised citizen remains a central point of debate in immigration reform.

    Usage

    In legal contexts, this term is precise, but in everyday speech, it can sometimes sound cold or unwelcoming.
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  1. 3 strange or unfamiliar (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    very strange and different from what you are used to.

    fundamentally different, inconsistent, or strange in nature; often used with the preposition 'to'.

    Example

    The idea of working in a big office was completely alien to him.

    Example

    The harsh, industrial landscape felt entirely alien to the hikers, who were accustomed to the lush greenery of the valley.
  2. 4 to transfer property (v.)
    C2 Proficiency Formal Technical Law

    to give or sell the ownership of property to someone else.

    to transfer the ownership of property or a right to another person.

    Example

    The owner decided to alien the land to a local charity.

    Example

    The contract stipulated that the tenant could not alien the leasehold interest without the express written consent of the landlord.

    Usage

    This is a transitive verb used almost exclusively in property law.
Origin

From Middle English alien, a borrowing from Old French alien, aliene, from Latin aliēnus (“belonging to someone else”, later “exotic, foreign”), from Latin alius (“other”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂élyos. Related to English else.

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