alienate
pronunciation
How to pronounce alienate in British English:
UK [ˈeɪliəneɪt]
How to pronounce alienate in American English:
US [ˈeɪliəneɪt]
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- Verb:
- arouse hostility or indifference in where there had formerly been love, affection, or friendliness
- transfer property or ownership
Word Origin
- alienate (v.)
- 1540s, "make estranged" (in feelings or affections), from Latin alienatus, past participle of alienare "to make another's, estrange," from alienus "of or belonging to another person or place," from alius "(an)other" (see alias (adv.)). Related: Alienated; alienating.
Example
- 1. Punitive measures will alienate rather than persuade israelis .
- 2. He also reminded the new democrats that they had run an anonymous telephone campaign trying to alienate supporters of one of their mps who had joined the liberals .
- 3. Management jargon can alienate staff and leave bosses looking untrustworthy and weak , according to a survey commissioned by investors in people .
- 4. We mustn 't alienate ourselves from the masses , our relationship with the masses is a fish-water relationship or swimmer-water relationship .
- 5. If the nurses go on strike they may alienate public support for their pay claim .