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| al·ien·ate [ áylyə nàyt, áylee ə nàyt ] (past and past participle al·ien·at·ed, present participle al·ien·at·ing, 3rd person present singular al·ien·ates) |
transitive verb |
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| Definition: |
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1. make somebody unfriendly: to cause somebody to change his or her previously friendly or supportive attitude and become unfriendly, unsympathetic, or hostile
  His selfishness alienated all of his friends.
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2. make somebody feel disaffected: to make somebody feel that he or she does not belong to or share in something, or is isolated from it
(
often passive
)
People like that often feel alienated from society.
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3. turn something away: to cause something, especially somebody's affections, to be directed toward somebody or something else
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4. law transfer ownership to somebody: to transfer the ownership of property or a right to somebody
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| [15th century. < Latin alienat-, past participle of alienare "make somebody else's, alienate" < alienus (see alien)] |
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