alienate
An alienate means to make someone or something feel like they don't belong or are no longer wanted. This can happen when people push away their friends or family.
Alienate is one of those words that comes with a lot of connotations, but most often it's used in the sense that I mentioned above. Think about it: if you're feeling lonely and your friends stop inviting you to things, you might start to feel alienated from them. It's like they've made it clear that you don't fit in anymore. Alienate can also be used in more abstract ways - for example, a policy might alienate certain groups of people by making them feel unwelcome or unheard.
One less common use of the word alienate is as a verb related to property law. In this case, someone or an organization can alienate a piece of land or a right by selling it or giving it up completely. This usage isn't very different from the other meanings - if you sell your house, you might say that you're alienating yourself from your home in some way.
How common is "alienate"?
It has a balanced usage among all categories: speech, fiction, newspapers and academic texts.
noun
A stranger; an alien.
verb
To convey or transfer to another, as title, property, or right; to part voluntarily with ownership of.
adjective
(followed by "from") Estranged; withdrawn in affection; foreign
Real examples of "alienate" in context
