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📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Alienate: Definition, Examples, and Common Usage (2 meaning)

Meaning 1：estrange (alienate)

alienate 🔊

/ˈeɪliəneɪt/

vt.

To make someone feel left out and like they don't belong to a place or group anymore.

estrange 🔊

➕

/ɪˈstreɪndʒ/

vt.

To cause someone to feel isolated or unwelcome, breaking their sense of belonging.

📁 Category：Behaviors & Actions 🔖 Level：advanced

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'alienus' (foreign) + '-ate', meaning to make foreign or estranged.

💡 Mnemonic

Alien (foreigner) + ate -> treat someone like an alien, causing separation.

📖 Example

His constant complaining about the project eventually alienated his teammates, who stopped inviting him to meetings. 🔊 His constant complaining about the project eventually alienated his teammates, who stopped inviting him to meetings.

🔗 Collocations

alienate someone – to make someone feel excluded

feel alienated – to experience isolation from a group

alienated from – separated or distanced from a community or person

🔄 Synonyms

estrange (vt.) – to cause someone to become emotionally distant or unfriendly

isolate (vt.) – to cause someone to be alone or separated from others

marginalize (vt.) – to treat someone as unimportant or powerless within a society or group

🚫 Antonyms

unite (vt.) – to bring people together in harmony

welcome (vt.) – to greet or receive someone warmly into a group

include (vt.) – to make someone part of a group or activity

🌱 Derivatives

alienation (n.) – the state of being alienated or isolated

alienator (n.) – a person who alienates others

alienable (adj.) – capable of being transferred to another owner (often in law)

📖 Cultural Story

Derived from Latin 'alienatio', used in Roman law for property transfer. Shakespeare later popularized its emotional sense of estrangement.

Meaning 2：transfer ownership (alienate)

alienate 🔊

/ˈeɪliəneɪt/

vt.

To legally give away ownership of something, like property or a right, to another person.

transfer ownership 🔊

➕

/trænsˈfɜːr ˈoʊnərʃɪp/

vt.

To legally convey or give away title to property or rights to another person.

📁 Category：Laws & Regulations 🔖 Level：advanced

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

They decided to alienate the family cottage after moving to another country, as it was too difficult to maintain from afar. 🔊 They decided to alienate the family cottage after moving to another country, as it was too difficult to maintain from afar.

🔗 Collocations

alienate property – to legally transfer ownership of real estate

alienate a right – to give up or sell a legal right to another party

right to alienate – the legal ability to transfer ownership of assets

🔄 Synonyms

convey (vt.) – to legally transfer property ownership to someone else

transfer (vt.) – to move the legal title of property from one person to another

assign (vt.) – to legally give or delegate a right, property, or duty to another

🚫 Antonyms

retain (vt.) – to keep ownership or possession of something

keep (vt.) – to continue to hold or own something

withhold (vt.) – to refuse to give or transfer something

🌱 Derivatives

alienation (n.) – the legal transfer of property ownership

alienability (n.) – the quality of being legally transferable

inalienable (adj.) – not able to be transferred or given away