Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition

Alien

Al′ien

,
Adj.
[OF.
alien
, L.
alienus
, fr.
alius
another; properly, therefore, belonging to another. See
Else
.]
1.
Not belonging to the same country, land, or government, or to the citizens or subjects thereof; foreign;
as,
alien
subjects, enemies, property, shores
.
2.
Wholly different in nature; foreign; adverse; inconsistent (with); incongruous; – followed by from or sometimes by to;
as, principles
alien
from our religion
.
An
alien
sound of melancholy.
Wordsworth.
Alien enemy
(Law)
,
one who owes allegiance to a government at war with ours.
Abbott.

Al′ien

,
Noun.
1.
A foreigner; one owing allegiance, or belonging, to another country; a foreign-born resident of a country in which he does not possess the privileges of a citizen. Hence, a stranger. See
Alienage
.
2.
One excluded from certain privileges; one alienated or estranged;
as,
aliens
from God’s mercies
.
Aliens
from the common wealth of Israel.
Ephes. ii. 12.

Al′ien

,
Verb.
T.
[F.
aliéner
, L.
alienare
.]
To alienate; to estrange; to transfer, as property or ownership.
[R.]
“It the son alien lands.”
Sir M. Hale.
The prince was totally
aliened
from all thoughts of . . . the marriage.
Clarendon.

Webster 1828 Edition

Alien

A'LIEN

,
Adj.
alyen, [L. alienus, from alius, another. L. alieno, to alienate; alter, another, to altercate.]
1.
Foreign; not belonging to the same country, land or government.
2.
Belonging to one who is not a citizen.
3.
Estranged; foreign; not allied; adverse to; as, principles alien from our religion.

A'LIEN

,
Noun.
alyen.
1.
A foreigner; one born in, or belonging to, another country; one who is not a denizen, or entitled to the privileges of a citizen.
2.
In scripture, one who is a stranger to the church of Christ, or to the covenant of grace.
At that time, ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel. Eph. 2.
In France, a child born of residents who are not citizens, is an alien. In Great Britain, the children of aliens born in that country, are mostly natural born subjects; and the children of British subjects, owing allegiance to the crown of England, though born in other countries, are natural subjects, and entitled to the privileges or resident citizens.
Alien-duty, a tax upon goods imported by aliens, beyond the duty on the like goods imported by citizens; a discriminating duty on the tonnage of ships belonging to aliens, or any extra duties imposed by laws or edicts on aliens.

Definition 2025

Alien

Alien

See also: alien and alíen

Finnish

Proper noun

Alien

  1. genitive plural of Ali

alien

alien

See also: Alien and alíen

English

Alternative forms

Noun

alien ‎(plural aliens)

  1. A person, animal, plant, or other thing which is from outside the family, group, organization, or territory under consideration.
  2. A foreigner residing in a country.
    • 1773, William Blackstone, Commentaries on the laws of England: in four books, fifth edition, page 372:
      An alien born may purchase lands, or other estates: but not for his own use; for the king is thereupon entitled to them.
    • 1831, John Marshall, Cherokee Nation v. Georgia, U.S. Government:
      The counsel have shown conclusively that they are not a state of the union, and have insisted that individually they are aliens, not owing allegiance to the United States.
    • 2004, Wesley Campbell, Stephen Court, Be a hero: the battle for mercy and social justice, Destiny Image Publishers, page 74:
      Aliens are aliens because of persecution or war or hardship or famine.
  3. Any life form of extraterrestrial origin.
  4. One excluded from certain privileges; one alienated or estranged.
    • Bible, Ephes. ii. 12
      Aliens from the common wealth of Israel.

Synonyms

  • fremd
  • See also Wikisaurus:extraterrestrial

Related terms

Translations

Adjective

alien ‎(comparative more alien, superlative most alien)

  1. Pertaining to an alien.
  2. Not belonging to the same country, land, or government, or to the citizens or subjects thereof; foreign.
    alien subjects, enemies, property, or shores‎
  3. Very unfamiliar, strange, or removed.
    principles alien to our religion‎
    • (Can we date this quote?), Wordsworth, (Please provide the title of the work):
      An alien sound of melancholy.

Translations

Verb

alien ‎(third-person singular simple present aliens, present participle aliening, simple past and past participle aliened)

  1. (transitive) To estrange; to alienate.
  2. (law) To transfer the ownership of something.

Alternative forms

Anagrams

French

Pronunciation

Noun

alien m ‎(plural aliens)

  1. alien (extraterrestrial)

Old French

Etymology

Latin aliēnus.

Adjective

alien m ‎(oblique and nominative feminine singular aliene)

  1. alien; foreign; non-native
    • 11th century, La Vie de Saint Alexis, BNF manuscript 19525
      alienes terres
      foreign lands

Declension

Noun

alien m ‎(oblique plural aliens, nominative singular aliens, nominative plural alien)

  1. alien (a non-native)

Declension

Portuguese

Etymology

From English alien ‎(“extraterrestrial life form”), from Old French alien, aliene, from Latin aliēnus ‎(“foreign”), from alius ‎(“other”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂élyos.

Pronunciation

  • (Brazil) IPA(key): /ˈa.li.ẽj̃/

Noun

alien m (plural aliens)

  1. alien; extraterrestrial life form

Synonyms

Etymology

Old French alien, aliene, from Latin aliēnus ‎(“belonging to someone else, later exotic, foreign”), from alius ‎(“other”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂élyos.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈeɪ.li.ən/

Similar Results