alien

11 synonyms and 7 antonyms for alien, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — A being from another planet.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

stranger unknown foreign

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

foreigner newcomer exotic

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

extraterrestrial non-citizen outlander noncitizen alienate

Synonyms by Meaning

1. noun

A being from another planet.

“The children dressed up as green aliens with antennae for the school play.”

extraterrestrial foreigner non-citizen stranger newcomer outlander noncitizen unknown

Opposites

earthling terrestrial

2. noun

A foreign citizen living in a country where they do not hold citizenship.

“As a legal alien, he had to carry his permit whenever he travelled.”

Opposites

citizen

3. adj

Very strange or unfamiliar.

“The loud, crowded city felt alien to someone raised in a quiet village.”

exotic foreign

Opposites

natural regular common akin

4. verb

(formal, law) To transfer ownership of property to someone else.

“The owner decided to alien the farm to her daughter by signing the deed.”

alienate

How to use alien

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

illegal alien alien invasion feel alien to

Etymology

From Latin alienus ("belonging to another"), from alius ("other") — related to English "else".

Full origin of alien →

Frequently asked questions

What does “alien” mean?

The word “alien” means a being from another planet. In plain terms, a being from outer space, a foreign non-citizen, or (as an adjective) something unfamiliar and strange.

How do you pronounce “alien”?

“Alien” is pronounced AY-lee-uhn (/ˈeɪ.li.ən/ in IPA).

How do you use “alien” in a sentence?

Here is “alien” used in a sentence: “The movie is about aliens invading Earth.”

What is another word for “alien”?

Words with a similar meaning to “alien” include outlander.

What part of speech is “alien”?

Depending on how it is used, “alien” can be a noun, an adjective and a verb.

Where does the word “alien” come from?

The word “alien” comes from Latin. From Latin alienus ("belonging to another"), from alius ("other") — related to English "else".

Is “alien” a common word?

“Alien” is a fairly common word in modern English.

How many meanings does “alien” have?

“Alien” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a being from another planet.

What is the difference between an alien and an immigrant?

In its legal sense, an 'alien' is simply a foreign citizen living in a country where they do not hold citizenship, a formal or bureaucratic label. 'Immigrant' describes a person who has come to settle in a new country, and is the more everyday, neutral word most people use.

What is the difference between 'alien' as a noun and as an adjective?

As a noun, 'alien' names a being from another planet or a foreign non-citizen. As an adjective it means strange, unfamiliar, or foreign, as in 'an alien landscape' or 'ideas alien to our culture'.

What words commonly go with 'alien'?

Common pairings include 'alien life', 'alien invasion', and 'illegal alien' in legal or immigration contexts. As an adjective you often hear 'alien concept', 'alien environment', and 'utterly alien'.

People also searched

common foreign natural regular unknown citizen stranger exotic terrestrial akin foreigner newcomer

Nearby words

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