Word: alienate (verb)

Associations

"Alienate" means to make someone feel isolated, unwelcome, or estranged. It often happens when actions or words create distance between people or groups.

• In a friendship: "His rude comments alienated his friends." Here, his words made friends feel distant.
• At work: "The manager’s strict rules alienated the employees." The workers felt disconnected or unhappy.
• In society: "New laws alienated certain communities." The laws made some groups feel excluded. A similar word is "isolate," but "alienate" often involves emotional or social distance caused by behavior, while "isolate" can mean physical separation.

Substitution

Other words or phrases you can use instead of "alienate" include:

• estrange – often used in relationships, meaning to cause someone to no longer be close or friendly.
• distance – to create space or separation, sometimes emotionally.
• exclude – to keep someone out or not include them. Using "estrange" often implies a longer or deeper separation, while "exclude" focuses more on not allowing someone in.

Deconstruction

The word "alienate" comes from Latin "alienare," meaning "to make something another’s" or "to transfer ownership."

• Root: "alien" means "other" or "stranger."
• Suffix: "-ate" is used to form verbs meaning "to cause" or "to make." So, "alienate" literally means "to make someone other" or "to make someone feel like a stranger."

Inquiry

• Have you ever felt alienated in a group or situation? What caused it?
• How can someone avoid alienating others when they disagree?
• Can alienation be repaired? How would you try to reconnect with someone you alienated?