alienated

IPA/ˈeɪ.li.ə.neɪ.tɪd/
KK[ˈeliənˌetɪd]IPA/ˈeɪ.li.ə.neɪ.t̬ɪd/

alienated — adjective

  • alienatedpositive
  • more alienatedcomparative
  • most alienatedsuperlative

1. feeling cut off from others nearby and from group life, as if you do not really

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

feeling cut off from others nearby and from group life, as if you do not really belong there.

Example

Naoko felt alienated during lunch because everyone else shared inside jokes.

feel alienated when excluded from group talk

After three months online, Theo still seemed alienated from his new class.

alienated from + group

Common collocations
  • feel alienated at school
  • alienated from classmates
  • socially alienated
  • deeply alienated
Synonyms
  • isolated

    stresses being cut off; it can be physical as well as social

  • disconnected

    broader and often less emotional than 'alienated'

  • excluded

    focuses on being left out by others rather than the inner feeling alone

  • lonely

    centres on sadness from being alone, not necessarily on group identity

Antonyms
  • included

    treated as part of the group

  • connected

    feeling linked to other people in the setting

  • accepted

    welcomed rather than pushed to the edge

Grammar Patterns

feel/be alienated

feel/be alienated from + group/place

alienated + noun

Usage Note

Often followed by from to name the group, workplace, or setting that feels closed to the speaker. Unlike sense 2, the focus here is on not fitting in, not on rejecting a person or an idea.

Common Mistakes

Theo felt lonely in the debate club.
Theo felt alienated in the debate club.
'lonely' means lacking company; 'alienated' means feeling you do not belong with that group.
Naoko felt alienated because she was home alone all evening.
Naoko felt lonely because she was home alone all evening.
use 'alienated' for social disconnection from people, not simple physical solitude.

2. having lost sympathy for a person, group, or set of ideas, and no longer wanting

2.adjectiveC1
Definition

having lost sympathy for a person, group, or set of ideas, and no longer wanting to stand with them.

Example

Zayd became alienated after the party ignored the workers it once defended.

become alienated after losing faith in a group

Many young voters felt alienated when the campaign copied old slogans again.

alienated when support for a movement fades

Common collocations
  • alienated voters
  • alienated supporters
  • alienated from the party
  • politically alienated
Synonyms
  • disillusioned

    focuses on losing earlier hope or admiration

  • disaffected

    more formal and especially common in political settings

  • estranged

    often used for a damaged personal relationship rather than public causes

  • disconnected

    weaker and not always about a clear loss of support

Antonyms
  • loyal

    continuing to support a person, group, or cause

  • committed

    actively devoted to the institution or belief

  • engaged

    still involved and invested rather than pulled away

Grammar Patterns

feel/be alienated from + person/group

feel/be alienated from + idea/institution

alienated + voter/supporter/member

Usage Note

Usually names the person, institution, or belief after from. Unlike sense 1, this sense highlights a break in support or agreement after disappointment, conflict, or changed values.

Common Mistakes

The workers felt alienated to the union.
The workers felt alienated from the union.
use 'from' after 'alienated' when naming the person, group, or cause you no longer support.
Christopher was angry with the church after years of dispute.
Christopher felt alienated from the church after years of dispute.
'angry' names the emotion, while 'alienated' highlights lost trust and support.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Alienated suggests more than simply being alone. It describes feeling cut off from a group, place, or system that you are supposed to belong to. Isolated can be close, but it also covers physical separation, such as living far from other people. Lonely focuses on the sad feeling of having too little company or warmth. Disconnected is broader and often weaker, so it can describe technology, ideas, or people without the same emotional weight. Estranged usually points to a damaged relationship between particular people, especially family members. If Theo feels alienated in his new class, he thinks he does not fit in; if he feels lonely, he mainly wishes he had closer company.

alienated ↗isolated ↗lonely ↗disconnected ↗estranged ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • alienated teenager
  • alienated voter
  • alienated worker

Adverbs

  • deeply alienated
  • socially alienated
  • politically alienated

Phrases

  • feel alienated from
  • become alienated from
  • grow alienated from

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Alienated comes from alienate, which goes back to Latin alienus, meaning 'belonging to another' or 'foreign'. In English, the idea moved from making something belong to someone else to describing a person who feels pushed outside a group or who no longer stands with it.