Dictionary Definition
alien adj
1 not contained in or deriving from the essential
nature of something; "an economic theory alien to the spirit of
capitalism"; "the mysticism so foreign to the French mind and
temper"; "jealousy is foreign to her nature" [syn: foreign]
2 being or from or characteristic of another
place or part of the world; "alien customs"; "exotic plants in a
greenhouse"; "exotic cuisine" [syn: exotic]
Noun
1 a person who comes from a foreign country;
someone who does not owe allegiance to your country [syn: foreigner, noncitizen, outlander] [ant: citizen]
3 a form of life assumed to exist outside the
Earth or its atmosphere [syn: extraterrestrial
being, extraterrestrial]
Verb
1 transfer property or ownership; "The will
aliened the property to the heirs" [syn: alienate]
2 arouse hostility or indifference in where there
had formerly been love, affection, or friendliness [syn: estrange, alienate, disaffect]
User Contributed Dictionary
English
Etymology
From Latin aliēnus, "belonging to someone else", then "exotic, foreign", from alius, "other". Cognate with Ancient Greek αλλος (allos), "another, different" and Old English elles, "else".Pronunciation
- /ˈeɪ.li.ən/, /"eI.lI.@n/
Noun
- (1340) A person, animal, plant or other thing which is from outside the family, group, organization, or territory under consideration.
- (____) A foreigner who is not a subject of the country in which he lives.
- (1935) Any life form of non-Earth origin.
Related terms
Translations
person etc. outside of the considered territory:
- Albanian: huaj (i/e)
- Catalan: estrany , estranya , foraster , forastera
- Dutch: vreemdeling
- French: étranger , étrangère
- German: Fremdling , Fremder , Fremde
- Hungarian: idegen
- Italian: straniero
- Japanese: 外国人 (gaikokujin); 外人 (gaijin)
- Polish: obcy
- Romanian: străin, alien străină, alienă
- Russian: чужак (čužák)
- Spanish: desconocido , desconocida
- Swedish: främling
foreigner
- Albanian: huaj (i/e)
- Catalan: foraster , forastera , estranger , estrangera
- Dutch: buitenlander, allochtoon
- Finnish: muukalainen, ulkomaalainen, vierasmaalainen
- French: étranger , étrangère
- German: Fremder , Fremde
- Greek: ξένος , ξένη , αλλοδαπός
- Hungarian: idegen
- Italian: straniero , forestiero
- Japanese: 外国人 (gaikokujin); 外人 (gaijin)
- Polish: cudzoziemiec , obcokrajowiec
- Portuguese: estrangeiro
- Romanian: străin, alien străină, alienă
- Russian: иностранец (inostrán'ec)
- Spanish: extranjero , extranjera
life form of non-Earth origin
- Albanian: jashtëtokësor
- Catalan: extraterrestre
- Chinese: 外星人
- Czech: mimozemšťan
- Dutch: buitenaards
- French: extraterrestre
- German: Außerirdischer , Außerirdische
- Greek: εξωγήινος
- Hungarian: földönkívüli
- Italian: extraterrestre, alieno
- Japanese: 宇宙人 (uchūjin)
- Norwegian: romvesen
- Polish: istota pozaziemska , kosmita
- Portuguese: alienígena
- Romanian: extraterestru
- Russian: пришелец (prišél'ec) , инопланетянин (inoplan'et'ánin)
- Spanish: extraterrestre; alienígena
- Swedish: utomjording (utomjordling)
Adjective
- (1330) Pertaining to an alien.
- (1382) Being exceedingly unfamiliar with or removed from a concept.
Translations
Pertaining to an alien:
- German: außerirdisch
- Greek: ξένος (xénos)
- Hungarian: idegen
Being unfamiliar with:
- Finnish: vieras
- German: fremd, fremdartig
- Greek: ξένος (xénos)
- ttbc Catalan: estrany (2), estranya (2), aliè (2), aliena (2)
- ttbc French: étranger , étrangère (1), contraire à (2)
- ttbc Romanian: străin, alien străină, alienă (1,2), extraterestru extraterestră (3)
- ttbc Spanish: extraterrestre (1), alienígena (1), extraño (2), extraña (2)
- ttbc Swedish: främmande (2)
Extensive Definition
Alien may refer to:
Science and Engineering
- Alien (biology), an introduced species
- Extraterrestrial life, a lifeform not native to Earth
- Unidentified flying object (UFO)
Film and television
Alien franchise
The Alien (franchise) is a science fiction horror film franchise consisiting of several movies and numerous other related media spin-offs. For the creature featured in the franchise see Alien (Alien franchise).Main film series:
- Alien (film) The famed (1979 film), by Ridley Scott, which in turn was followed by:
- Aliens (film) (1986 film), the sequel to the 1979 film.
- Alien³ (1992 film), the third Alien movie.
- Alien Resurrection (1997 film), the fourth Alien movie.
- Related media:
- Aliens (comic book), a group of comic book series based on the alien.
- Aliens (novel series), a number of novels based on the series.
- Aliens (video game), a number of video games.
- Aliens (arcade game), a 1990 arcade shoot 'em up by Konami.
- The Alien vs. Predator series, a science fiction crossover franchise consisting of both the Predator and Alien creatures from their respective franchises.
Other
- Fictional extraterrestrials, aliens as depicted in films, television and popular literature
- "Alien" (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit), an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
- The Alien, a cancelled film with a script by Satyajit Ray.
- Aliens in America (2007 show)
Computing
- Alienware Computer Corporation, a division of Dell.
- Alien (software), computer program that converts between different Linux package formats.
- AliEn (ALICE Environment), software/grid middleware used CERN.
Music
- The Aliens, a funk band from Scotland.
- Alien (album), a 2005 album by metal project Strapping Young Lad.
- Atliens, a 1996 album by rap group OutKast.
- Alien (song), a 1999 song by Pennywise.
- Alien (Third Day song), a 1997 song from Christian rock group Third Day.
- Aliens Exist is a song by rock band Blink-182. The song appears on their album Enema of the State.
- Alians (band) is a Polish punk rock/reggae/ska band, popular among fans of underground music.
- Alien is the name of a song by The High Court.
Miscellaneous
- Alien (law), owing political allegiance to another country or government. A person who is neither a native nor a citizen of the country of residence. Person refers both to humans, which US law calls individuals as well as corporations.
- Alien (signifier), use in literature and criticism as the embodiment of an outside perspective or the sense of the other.
- Alien Technology, a maker of UHF RFID tags.
- Alien Sun, a Singaporean actress.
alien in Czech: Alien
alien in German: Alien
alien in Spanish: Alien
alien in French: Alien
alien in Korean: 에일리언
alien in Dutch: Alien
alien in Japanese: エイリアン
alien in Polish: Alien
alien in Russian: Чужой (значения)
alien in Simple English: Alien
alien in Finnish: Alien
alien in Turkish: Alien
Synonyms, Antonyms and Related Words
Jim Crow, Martian, Uitlander, abalienate, adversary, adversative, adverse, alienate, alter, antagonistic, anti, antipathetic, antithetic, apart, apartheid, assign, astronaut, auslander, barbarian, barbaric, barbarous, case, cede, change, character, clashing, color bar, competitive, con, conflicting, contradictory, contrary, convert, convey, cosmonaut, counter, crackpot, crank, cross, deed, deracine, detached, disaccordant, disaffect, disconnected, discrete, disjunct, displaced person,
disrelated, dissentient, dissociated, disunify, disunite, division, eccentric, emigre, enemy, ethnocentrism, exclusiveness, exile, exotic, exterior, external, exterrestrial, exterritorial, extragalactic, extralateral, extraliminal, extramundane, extramural, extraneous, extrapolar, extraprovincial,
extrasolar, extraterrene, extraterrestrial,
extraterritorial,
extratribal,
extrinsic, fanatic, foreign, foreign devil,
foreign-born, foreigner, fractious, give up, gringo, hand over, hermit, hobo, hostile, immigrant, incommensurable,
incomparable,
incompatible,
incongruous,
inconsonant,
independent,
inimical, insular, insularity, insulation, intrusive, irrelative, isolated, isolation, know-nothingism,
kook, lone wolf, loner, make over, man from Mars,
maverick, meshuggenah, narrowness, natural, negative, newcomer, nonconformist, noncooperative, nut, obstinate, odd fellow,
oddball, oddity, opponent, opposed, opposing, opposite, oppositional, oppositive, oppugnant, original, other, otherworldly, out-group,
outcast, outland, outlander, outlandish, outlaw, outside, outsider, overthwart, pariah, parochialism, persona non
grata, perverse,
planetary colony, quarantine, queer duck, queer
fish, queer specimen, race hatred, racial segregation, rara avis,
recalcitrant,
refractory, refugee, relinquish, remise, removed, repugnant, rival, rocket man, rocketeer, screwball, seclusion, segregate, segregation, separate, separated, separation, sign over,
snobbishness,
solitary, space, space crew, space traveler,
spaceman, strange, stranger, the Wandering Jew,
tightness, tramontane, tramp, transcendental, transmundane, type, ulterior, ultramontane, unaffiliated, unallied, unassociated, unconnected, uncooperative, unearthly, unfamiliar, unfavorable, unfriendly, unpropitious, unrelatable, unrelated, wanderer, wean, xenophobia, zealot