alien 1 of 3

alien

2 of 3

verb

alien

3 of 3

noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word alien different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of alien are extraneous, extrinsic, and foreign. While all these words mean "external to a thing, its essential nature, or its original character," alien is stronger than foreign in suggesting opposition, repugnance, or irreconcilability.

a practice totally alien to her nature

In what contexts can extraneous take the place of alien?

The synonyms extraneous and alien are sometimes interchangeable, but extraneous applies to what is on or comes from the outside and may or may not be capable of becoming an essential part.

arguments extraneous to the issue

When is it sensible to use extrinsic instead of alien?

While in some cases nearly identical to alien, extrinsic applies to what is distinctly outside the thing in question or is not contained in or derived from its essential nature.

sentimental value that is extrinsic to the house's market value

When could foreign be used to replace alien?

The words foreign and alien are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, foreign applies to what is so different as to be rejected or repelled or to be incapable of becoming assimilated.

techniques foreign to French cuisine

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of alien
Adjective
His grandfather Jacques Perrin had switched to organic farming in the 1950’s, when the concept was still alien to neighbors. Tom Mullen, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2025 Regardless of the true nature of K2-18b, the new results show how using the JWST to survey other worlds for clues of alien life will guarantee that the next years will be thrilling for astrobiologists. Daniel Apai, The Conversation, 18 Apr. 2025
Verb
But even that description fails to capture what Yagi is after: those parts of us, precious and possibly hostile, which flower in darkness, disintegrate when described, and can be compared only to alien life-forms. Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2022 Neanderthal to alien, and yet strangely well-suited for the modern era. Nick Remsen, CNN, 30 Sep. 2021
Noun
The psychiatrist had advised her not to specifically describe the aliens. Elif Batuman, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025 The game's official website promises a variety of Prospectors to play as, with assets showing what looks like a brutal four-armed brawler and an insectoid-looking alien that can turn invisible. Alan Bradley, Space.com, 5 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for alien
Recent Examples of Synonyms for alien
Adjective
  • Though Trump has deployed Vance on multiple foreign tours through their first 100 days in office, where the vice president has served as a messaging cudgel touting Trump’s isolationist foreign policy, the president himself is yet to take a trip overseas.
    Christian Datoc, The Washington Examiner, 17 Apr. 2025
  • China, Canada, and Mexico – which together supply nearly half of the foreign goods consumed in the U.S. – continued to lead the import surge.
    Dian Zhang, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • For the purposes of this discussion, the cause of sea level rise is irrelevant.
    Rob Young, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2025
  • Tony Gilroy’s masterful series is so good that the sci-fi Star Wars of it all sometimes seems irrelevant compared to the nuanced takes on resistance and fascism.
    James Grebey, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • This week, President Donald Trump froze $2.2 billion in grants to Harvard University, angering members of the Elbow Patch Mafia around America.
    Christian Schneider, National Review, 17 Apr. 2025
  • That meeting angered Israeli officials, and reportedly Dermer in particular.
    Alex Marquardt, CNN Money, 10 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Revell said the suspect will need a significant amount of time to recover from his injuries after which he'll be transferred to a detention facility.
    Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Apr. 2025
  • According to Nature, the findings offer the first evidence for squirrels transferring the virus to primates.
    Lillian Ali, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Embrace a Future-Focused Networking Strategy Networking doesn’t have to mean working a room full of strangers.
    Caroline Castrillon, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
  • As an adult, that's such a hard thing to do with strangers, essentially.
    Jessica Wang, EW.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The only reason there’s a handful of options for Day 3 is because many of their guys at the end of the depth chart are external vets and the Cowboys could try to replace them with homegrown talents.
    Saad Yousuf, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025
  • Prior to Joyce, Lisa Cummins, the minister of energy and business development in Barbados, spoke movingly about how her small island nation was being buffeted by external forces.
    Christine Ro, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • But later, under former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, relations soured.
    Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2025
  • Sentiment soured though as the White House doubled down in the afternoon on aggressive tariffs.
    Medora Lee, USA Today, 8 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • But in Mexico, which in defeat was forced to cede more than half of its territory to the U.S., memories of the war and other military quarrels with the nation’s powerful northern neighbor remain deeply felt.
    Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2025
  • The Russian attack came amid intensifying negotiations to end the war, with White House officials pressuring Zelenskyy and Ukraine to accept a potential peace plan that may include ceding land to Russia, according to a senior Ukrainian official.
    Kevin Shalvey, ABC News, 24 Apr. 2025

Cite this Entry

“Alien.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alien. Accessed 1 May. 2025.

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