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alienation

Definition of Alienation

(noun) The estrangement of individuals from themselves and others; a feeling of normlessness and powerlessness caused by separation and isolation from an individual’s sense of self, society, and work.

Alienation Pronunciation

Pronunciation Usage Guide

Syllabification: al·ien·a·tion

Audio Pronunciation

– American English
– British English

Phonetic Spelling

  • American English – /ay-lee-uh-nAY-shuhn/
  • British English – /ay-liuh-nAY-shuhn/

International Phonetic Alphabet

  • American English – /ˌeɪliəˈneɪʃ(ə)n/
  • British English – /ˌeɪlɪəˈneɪʃn/

Usage Note

  • Plural: alienations

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Additional Information

Related Terms


Works Consulted

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Cite the Definition of Alienation

ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “alienation.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved March 28, 2024 (https://sociologydictionary.org/alienation/).

APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)

alienation. (2013). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/alienation/

Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “alienation.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed March 28, 2024. https://sociologydictionary.org/alienation/.

MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)

“alienation.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2013. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://sociologydictionary.org/alienation/>.