
tr.v., -at·ed, -at·ing, -ates.
- To cause to become unfriendly or hostile; estrange: alienate a friend; alienate potential supporters by taking extreme positions. See synonyms at estrange.
- To cause to become withdrawn or unresponsive; isolate or dissociate emotionally: The numbing labor tended to alienate workers.
- To cause to be transferred; turn away: "He succeeded . . . in alienating the affections of my only ward" (Oscar Wilde).
- Law. To transfer (property or a right) to the ownership of another, especially by an act of the owner rather than by inheritance.
[Latin aliēnāre, aliēnāt-, from Latin aliēnus, alien. See alien.]
alienator al'ien·a'tor n.








