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Definition of "alienation" []

  • The act of alienating or the condition of being alienated; estrangement: Alcoholism often leads to the alienation of family and friends. (noun)
  • Emotional isolation or dissociation. (noun)
  • Law The act of transferring property or title to it to another. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "alienation" in a sentence
  • "In psychology, sociology, and cultural criticism the term alienation would be popularized primarily by Jewish thinkers."
  • "Disassociation between the claimed goal and actual actions is obvious; hence, maybe the term alienation is proper for the occasion."
  • "To use the term alienation is too soft a word now."