ESTRANGEMENT Synonyms: 43 Similar and Opposite Words

estrangement

noun

Definition of estrangement

as in alienation

the loss of friendship or affection a silly quarrel that eventually resulted in a complete and lasting estrangement between the onetime friends

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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 estrangement Musk has tied his own attitudes on transgender rights to his estrangement from one of his children, who is a transgender woman. — Lisa Hagen, NPR, 30 Sep. 2026 Jill and Derick have been vocal about their estrangement, citing alleged control issues and financial disputes as major factors. — Jane Lacroix, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2026 From this perspective, estrangement can affect more than two people. — Ascend Agency, New York Daily News, 28 Sep. 2026 We’re told there’s some troubling family history in their background that might have led to their estrangement, though it’s not really shown. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026 Jordan appeared on now-wife JoJo Fletcher’s season of The Bachelorette in 2016, telling viewers about his family’s estrangement from the quarterback, but not sharing too many details. — Entertainment Weekly, 25 Sep. 2026 The flames of perdition, fueled by guilt, estrangement, and repression, lap at society’s sham institutions and flimsy fronts of civility. — Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026 The nonfiction feature examines the filmmaker’s strained relationship with her father, an estrangement caused by his Oxycontin addiction. — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 21 Sep. 2026 Trauma and tragedies—such as the death of his parents, or periods of estrangement from his siblings—receive less scrutiny than the emotions unlocked by Virginia Woolf or Roland Barthes. — Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for estrangement

Noun

The small army at Kostabi World turned out images of featureless characters moving through strange, otherworldly scenes, caught between intimacy, alienation, and the discomfort of contemporary life.

— Robb Report, Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026
You’re meant to be feeling some amount of alienation right now.

— Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of alienation

Noun

This is Kubrick’s modus operandi throughout the film, setting up scenes where furniture moves from shot to shot, wall decorations change, and there are further schisms between Ullman’s exposition and the reality that transpires.

— Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2026
The book follows this story for the critical eight years between 1527 and 1535, which led to the enduring schism that created the Church of England.

— David Faris, TheWeek, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of schism

Noun

Advanced robotics and a rapid rollout of AI should counter the shrinking workforce, while creating enough new jobs to keep youth disaffection at bay.

— Ben Bland, semafor.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Their disaffection can create a culture of hopelessness and emotional stasis that lasts well past any economic recovery.

— Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of disaffection

Noun

The goal is to manufacture large-area membranes that can perform highly selective separations under practical operating conditions.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 8 Oct. 2026
As Burberry’s fortunes improved, GUS began divesting the company, floating a minority stake on the London Stock Exchange in 2002 and completing its separation from Burberry in 2005.

— Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of separation

Noun

There’s a Christian minister, Michael Hare, who’s also a consultant to churches experiencing those rifts.

— Margaret Wappler, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
Recounting the disappearance of his sister Jade 20 years earlier, this text threatens to expose the lies, secrets and rifts within a group of friends bound forever by tragic events.

— Ed Meza, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of rift

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estranged

estrangement

estrangements

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“Estrangement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/estrangement. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of estrangement

noun

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