# alienate

/ˈeɪɫjəˌneɪt/ (US) · /ˈeɪliənˌeɪt/ (UK) · CEFR C1 · Verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/alienate
Updated: 2026-05-11

## Definition

to make someone feel like they do not belong or are not part of a group. You might do this by being unfriendly or by making choices they strongly disagree with.

For teachers: to cause someone to feel isolated or estranged from a group or society. Often describes the result of actions that create hostility or indifference in others.

## Examples

- His rude behavior began to alienate his closest friends.
- The government's new tax policy threatened to alienate the very voters who had supported them in the last election.
- By refusing to acknowledge the concerns of the local community, the developers risked alienating the public and losing the necessary support for their ambitious urban renewal project.

## Pitfalls

- Not "alienate from his family" but "alienate him from his family" — Alienate is transitive and requires a direct object before the prepositional phrase.

## Usage notes

- The verb is transitive and takes a direct object; often used in the passive voice ('to be alienated from').

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.