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
The clip focuses on Emma Stone, a powerful CEO, who is kidnapped and accused of being an alien by a pair of unwell men. Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 28 Aug. 2025 One of the silliest moments in the intro features an alien doing the running man, but that wasn’t Barton’s first choice for the extraterrestrial. Oliver Sava, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2025
Verb
Complicating matters is several of the lethal alien creatures on board, including a xenomorph-spawning facehugger, escape from their confines and pick off the crew one by one until Morrow is the sole survivor. EW.com, 3 Sep. 2025 One little alien spews tiny tadpole-looking critters into a water bottle, later swigged down by junior engineer Malachite (Jamie Bisping). Noel Murray, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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 See All Example Sentences for alien
Recent Examples of Synonyms for alien
Adjective
  • International implications of using foreign fighters By allowing non-Ukrainians to serve, Kyiv runs the risk of these fighters being labelled as mercenaries by Russia, leaving them vulnerable to capture, detention and extradition to Russia.
    Rebecca Johns, Miami Herald, 6 Sep. 2025
  • One of the charming aspects of following foreign football is realising that certain concepts are expressed in different ways to how it’s done in your own country.
    Michael Cox, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Leading up to kickoff of Belichick’s debut at Chapel Hill, college football, this community and certainly the TV networks were thrilled with the prospect of this grouchy old man turning an irrelevant football team into something worth watching.
    Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Sep. 2025
  • Natural gas fulfills much of this need, while coal is dirtier, expensive, and increasingly irrelevant for electricity production.
    Ken Silverstein, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Robert Bianco, a longtime TV critic for USA Today, emphasized how strongly Levin supported him even when Bianco’s reviews angered Levin’s sources.
    Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Platner also worked as a contractor for Constellis, a successor to the security company Blackwater, which has angered some online activists.
    David Weigel, semafor.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Horses transferred to other trainers ― most notably more than a dozen 2-year-olds to Steve Asmussen.
    Stephanie Kuzydym, The Courier-Journal, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Top players transferring to top programs has been a growing trend over the past decade, and that will only increase with the TSSAA one-time transfer rule.
    Cecil Joyce, The Tennessean, 3 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Housed in a historic Germantown residence, the restaurant serves its brunch family-style, with strangers seated together at communal tables.
    Rai Mincey, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Locals are sentimental about the happy, drunken teen graduates, who are thanked by strangers for their future contributions to Denmark.
    Sarah Larson, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Many, if not most, companies use and rely on cloud services, vendors and other external partners to manage their data and operations leaving customers’ data vulnerable when their employees are manipulated through social engineering.
    Steve Weisman, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
  • The pool and rooftop bars are for hotel guests only, while the restaurants are open to external guests.
    Heather Richardson, Travel + Leisure, 6 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Their desire, soured, turns into rage; the women in my family wear their resentments like bracelets.
    Eliana Ramage September 4, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
  • And maybe that soured Stoops a bit.
    Chase Goodbread, The Tennessean, 29 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Wintour has tapped protege and Vogue digital editor Chloe Malle as head of editorial content for the American edition of Vogue, taking the reins from Wintour, who ceded her role leading the publication in June.
    Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2025
  • Just days after announcing her engagement to Travis Kelce, Taylor Swift ceded some of the spotlight to a fellow NFL WAG celebrating a milestone birthday.
    Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 2 Sep. 2025

Cite this Entry

“Alien.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alien. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on alien

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