alien
[ eyl-yuhn, ey-lee-uhn ]
/ ˈeɪl yən, ˈeɪ li ən /
noun
adjective
VIDEO FOR ALIEN
WATCH NOW: Are "Immigrant," "Ex-pat," And "Alien" Synonyms?
The words "immigrant," "expat," and "alien" all have some history and tensions behind them. Is one word better to use than the others? This man helps us figure it out.
Origin of alien
1300–50; Middle English < Middle French < Latin
aliēnus, equivalent to
*alies- (
ali-, base of
alius other +
-es- noun suffix) +
-nus adj. suffix
SYNONYMS FOR alien
usage note for alien
See
illegal alien
OTHER WORDS FROM alien
non·al·ien, noun, adjective pro·al·ien, adjectiveWords nearby alien
Example sentences from the Web for alien
British Dictionary definitions for alien
alien
/ (ˈeɪljən, ˈeɪlɪən) /
noun
adjective
verb
(tr) rare
to transfer (property, etc) to another
Derived forms of alien
alienage (ˈeɪljənɪdʒ, ˈeɪlɪə-), nounWord Origin for alien
C14: from Latin
aliēnus foreign, from
alius other
Scientific definitions for alien
alien
[ ā′lē-ən ]
Introduced to a region deliberately or accidentally by humans. Starlings, German cockroaches, and dandelions are species that are alien to North America but have become widely naturalized in the continent. Compare endemic indigenous.