alienation
- 01 C1 Advanced
the feeling of being disconnected from your own work or human nature because of how society is organized.
the estrangement of individuals from their human nature and the products of their labor, typically as a result of stratified social classes.
Simple“In his early writings, Marx discussed the alienation of the worker under capitalism.”
In context“The philosopher argued that modern assembly lines increase the alienation of laborers by reducing their work to repetitive, meaningless tasks.”
Synonyms - 02 C2 Proficiency
a style of acting or directing that makes the audience think about the play rather than getting lost in the story.
a technique used to prevent the audience from identifying emotionally with the characters, encouraging a critical or objective perspective.
Simple“The director used bright lights and direct speech to create an alienation effect.”
In context“Brechtian alienation techniques, such as breaking the fourth wall, are designed to provoke intellectual reflection rather than mere emotional catharsis.”
Synonymsdistancing effectestrangementAntonyms - 03 C2 Proficiency
the legal act of giving or selling property to another person.
the voluntary and absolute transfer of the title and possession of real property from one person to another.
Simple“The contract prohibited the alienation of the land for twenty years.”
In context“The deed contained a restrictive covenant that limited the owner's power of alienation to family members only.”
SynonymsAntonyms
“And as it plays out, you wonder whether this is a dreamlike odyssey with some insight to share – about what: uncertainty, alienation, the futile search for meaning?”
“Unfortunately, disguising herself as a male pilgrim to cross dangerous unknown terrain only serves to underline Katherine’s alienation as she attempts to become the first European woman to reach Lhasa.”
From Middle English alienacioun, borrowed from Old French alienacion, itself borrowed from Latin aliēnātiōnem.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.