estranged

adjective

es·​tranged i-ˈstrānjd How to pronounce estranged (audio)
: having lost former closeness and affection : in a state of alienation from a previous close or familial relationship
her estranged husband [=her husband with whom she no longer lives]
Social workers may try to resolve conflicts between estranged siblings.Jonathan D. Rockoff
He had taken out a life insurance policy on his estranged wife just weeks before her murder …David Fisher
… it's kind of shameful to admit your idea of unwinding in front of the TV is watching somebody's entire family get murdered by their greedy, estranged uncle.Lauren Zupkus

Examples of estranged in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Her loss unleashed Twain’s anger at pitiless fate, and his relationships with his two surviving daughters became increasingly estranged. Mary Ann Gwinn, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2025 Last night’s previews were $200K. In Shadow Force, an estranged couple with a bounty on their heads must go on the run with their son to avoid their former employer, a unit of shadow ops that has been sent to kill them. Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 9 May 2025 Not once did Altman mention Elon Musk in his letter, but OpenAI’s estranged billionaire co-founder was undeniably a background force in Altman’s decision. Parmy Olson, Twin Cities, 7 May 2025 Going Dutch stars Leary as a U.S. Army colonel who finally gets command of a base — at the least strategic outpost the service has to offer in the Netherlands that was previously run by his estranged daughter (Taylor Misiak). Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 7 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for estranged

Word History

First Known Use

1538, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of estranged was in 1538

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Cite this Entry

“Estranged.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/estranged. Accessed 16 May. 2025.

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