alienation
pronunciation
How to pronounce alienation in British English:
UK [ˌeɪlɪə'neɪʃn]
How to pronounce alienation in American English:
US [ˌeljəˈneʃən, ˌeliə-]
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- Noun:
- the feeling of being alienated from other people
- separation resulting from hostility
- (law) the voluntary and absolute transfer of title and possession of real property from one person to another
- the action of alienating; the action of causing to become unfriendly
Word Origin
- alienation (n.)
- "transfer of ownership," late 14c., from Old French alienacion and directly from Latin alienationem (nominative alienatio) "a transfer, surrender," noun of action from past participle stem of alienare (see alienate). It also meant "loss or derangement of mental faculties, insanity" (late 15c.), hence alienist. Phrase alienation of affection as a U.S. legal term in divorce cases for "falling in love with someone else" dates to 1861.
Example
- 1. Potential reasons include increased stress and depression due to social alienation .
- 2. Contributing factors may include lack of a domestic partner , anti-gay violence and community alienation .
- 3. The resulting hurt feelings and alienation a partner feels can make it hard to sustain the relationship .
- 4. The potential for further alienation from politics , particularly after the bush years , will be huge .
- 5. A study by the medical research council highlights the deep unhappiness and growing sense of alienation among the young in particular .