# alienate

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈeɪ.li.ə.neɪt/ · frequency rank #27,714

## Definitions
1. Estranged; withdrawn in affection; foreign

## Etymology
From Middle English alienat(e) (“deranged; uncertain; sequestred, secluded”), from Latin aliēnātus, perfect passive participle of aliēnō (“to estrange, alienate”) (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from aliēnus. by surface analysis, alien + -ate. See alien, and compare aliene.

## Easily confused with
- **alternate** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/alienate-vs-alternate)

## Common misspellings (10)
`ailenate`, `aleinate`, `alieante`, `alienaet`, `alienatte`, `aliennate`, `alientae`, `alineate`, `allienate`, `laienate`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/alienate