Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

alienation of affection

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.09 in modern English

Syllables: alien-ation of af-fec-tion
IPA

32

Scrabble Score

21

Letters

4

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Estrangement or loss of affection between two people who have a claim on each other's affections (such as two spouses or a parent and child) that is willfully caused by interference from a third party.

Uncountable

Example Sentences

"An action for alienation of affection by enticing away does not lie against one who has not enticed the abandoning spouse away, or who has not by his wrongful conduct brought about or contributed to the estrangement, and hence it does not lie where the abandoning spouse acts of his or her free will and without inducement by a third person."
"The first four points relate to the trial court's dismissal of Mr. Thornburg's claim against the defendants for alienation of affection."
"In the concept “alienation of affection” there is a third party involved; but alienation may occur without such personal intervention; it may be brought on by any conflicting interest."

Usage

Uncountable

Questions

What does alienation of affection mean?: Estrangement or loss of affection between two people who have a claim on each other's affections (such as two spouses or a parent and child) that is willfully caused by interference from a third party.

How to pronounce alienation of affection

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “alienation of affection”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “alienation of affection”.
Repeat and practice — Say “alienation of affection” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.