Adjacent Words

Alien definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

A'LIEN, a. 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, n. 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. Ephesians 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.
A'LIEN

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: not contained in or deriving from the essential nature of something; "an economic theory alien to the spirit of capitalism"; "the mysticism so foreign to the French mind and temper"; "jealousy is foreign to her nature" [syn: alien, foreign]
2: being or from or characteristic of another place or part of the world; "alien customs"; "exotic plants in a greenhouse"; "exotic cuisine" [syn: alien, exotic] n
1: a person who comes from a foreign country; someone who does not owe allegiance to your country [syn: foreigner, alien, noncitizen, outlander] [ant: citizen]
2: anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found [syn: stranger, alien, unknown] [ant: acquaintance, friend]
3: a form of life assumed to exist outside the Earth or its atmosphere [syn: extraterrestrial being, extraterrestrial, alien] v
1: transfer property or ownership; "The will aliened the property to the heirs" [syn: alien, alienate]
2: arouse hostility or indifference in where there had formerly been love, affection, or friendliness; "She alienated her friends when she became fanatically religious" [syn: estrange, alienate, alien, disaffect]

Merriam Webster's

I. adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin alienus, from alius Date: 14th century 1. a. belonging or relating to another person, place, or thing ; strange b. relating, belonging, or owing allegiance to another country or government ; foreign c. exotic 1 2. differing in nature or character typically to the point of incompatibility Synonyms: see extrinsic • alienly adverb • alienness noun II. noun Date: 14th century 1. a person of another family, race, or nation 2. a foreign-born resident who has not been naturalized and is still a subject or citizen of a foreign country; broadly a foreign-born citizen 3. extraterrestrial 4. exotic 1 III. transitive verb Date: 14th century 1. alienate, estrange 2. to make over (as property)

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. & n. --adj. 1 a (often foll. by to) unfamiliar; not in accordance or harmony; unfriendly, hostile; unacceptable or repugnant (army discipline was alien to him; struck an alien note). b (often foll. by from) different or separated. 2 foreign; from a foreign country (help from alien powers). 3 of or relating to beings supposedly from other worlds. 4 Bot. (of a plant) introduced from elsewhere and naturalized in its new home. --n. 1 a foreigner, esp. one who is not a naturalized citizen of the country where he or she is living. 2 a being from another world. 3 Bot. an alien plant. Derivatives: alienness n. Etymology: ME f. OF f. L alienus belonging to another (alius)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Alien Al"ien, v. t. [F. ali['e]ner, 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's 1913 Dictionary

Alien Al"ien, a. [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.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Alien Al"ien, n. 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.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(aliens) 1. Alien means belonging to a different country, race, or group, usually one you do not like or are frightened of. (FORMAL) He said they were opposed to the presence of alien forces in the region. = foreign ADJ: usu ADJ n [disapproval] 2. You use alien to describe something that seems strange and perhaps frightening, because it is not part of your normal experience. His work offers an insight into an alien culture. = unfamiliar ADJ: usu ADJ n 3. If something is alien to you or to your normal feelings or behaviour, it is not the way you would normally feel or behave. (FORMAL) Such an attitude is alien to most businessmen. = foreign, unfamiliar ADJ: v-link ADJ to n 4. An alien is someone who is not a legal citizen of the country in which they live. (FORMAL or LEGAL) = foreigner N-COUNT 5. In science fiction, an alien is a creature from outer space. N-COUNT

Easton's Bible Dictionary

a foreigner, or person born in another country, and therefore not entitled to the rights and privileges of the country where he resides. Among the Hebrews there were two classes of aliens.

(1.) Those who were strangers generally, and who owned no landed property.

(2.) Strangers dwelling in another country without being naturalized (Lev. 22:10; Ps. 39:12).

Both of these classes were to enjoy, under certain conditions, the same rights as other citizens (Lev. 19:33, 34; Deut. 10:19). They might be naturalized and permitted to enter into the congregation of the Lord by submitting to circumcision and abandoning idolatry (Deut. 23:3-8).

This term is used (Eph. 2:12) to denote persons who have no interest in Christ.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

al'-yen: Found in the King James Version for ger, (Ex 18:3) = "guest," hence: "foreigner," "sojourner" the Revised Version (British and American); also for nekhar (Isa 61:5) = "foreign," "a foreigner" the Revised Version (British and American) (concrete), "heathendom" (abstract), "alien," "strange" (-er), and for nokhri (De 14:21 the Revised Version (British and American) "foreigner"; compare Job 19:15; Ps 69:8; La 5:2)--"strange," in a variety of degrees and meanings: "foreign," "non-relative," "adulterous," "different," "wonderful," "alien," "outlandish," "strange." In the New Testament we find apellotriomenos (Eph 4:18; Col 1:21) = "being alienated," and allotrios (Heb 11:34) = "another's," "not one's own," hence: "foreign," "not akin," "hostile." In the Old Testament the expression was taken in its literal sense, referring to those who were not Israelites--the heathen; in the New Testament it is given a figurative meaning, as indicating those who have not become naturalized in the kingdom of God, hence are outside of Christ and the blessing of the gospel.

Frank E. Hirsch

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. a. 1. Foreign, not native, not naturalized. 2. Estranged, differing, remote, unallied, separated, unconnected, strange, inappropriate, irrelevant, not pertinent. II. n. Foreigner, stranger.

Moby Thesaurus

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