Alienation Meaning
/ˌeɪli.əˈneɪʃən/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounThe act of alienating.
nounThe state of being alienated.
Sentence Examples
Alienation is a common theme of twentieth-century literature.
Alienation is the only thing I understand about Marxism.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
The character's sense of ____ grew as he had nothing in common with peers.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Moving to a new city can sometimes lead to a feeling of ____.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English alienacioun, borrowed from Old French alienacion, itself borrowed from Latin aliēnātiōn(em).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"That the mode of alienating their lands, the main source of discontent and war, should be so defined and regulated as to obviate imposition and as far as may be practicable controversy concerning the reality and extent of the alienations which are made."
— 1897, James D. Richardson, A Compilation of the Messages and Papers of the Presidents:
"Wearing an Audie Murphy black jacket, playing a Chuck Berry guitar, and performing his electrified alienation with passionate indifference, Dylan assassinated the audience."
— 1965 August, Mississippi Phil Ochs, “The Newport Fuzz Festival”, in The Realist, number 61, retrieved 13 Nov 2022, page 11:
"I refer to the state of our divisions and alienations of spirit on account of religion."
— 1874, Edward Bannerman Ramsay, Reminiscences of Scottish Life and Character:
"As Hegel showed, time is the necessary alienation, the terrain where the subject realizes himself by losing himself, becomes other in order to become truly himself. In total contrast, the current form of alienation is imposed on the producers of an estranged present. In this spatial alienation, the society that radically separates the subject from the activity it steals from him is in reality separating him from his own time."
— 1967, Guy Debord, “Chapter 6”, in Ken Knabb, transl., The Society of the Spectacle, section 161:
"But these domestic alienations are not confined to those who once moved in the higher orders of society--the monthly registers announce almost as many divorces as marriages, and the facility of separation has rendered the one little more than a licentious compact, which the other is considered as a means of dissolving."
— 1797, An English Lady, A Residence in France During the Years 1792, 1793, 1794 and 1795, 2nd edition:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The character's sense of ____ grew as he had nothing in common with peers.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Moving to a new city can sometimes lead to a feeling of ____.