Meanings
alienism1
plural alienisms
- uncountableusuallyA foreignism, a word (or trait, etc) from another language (or country, etc).
The diction of the dialogue is essentially the same as that of the chorus, the slight difference being due to a little greater restriction in the use of alienisms in the former on account of the use of the iambic metre.
1904, Basil Lanneau Gildersleeve, Charles William Emil Miller, Tenney Frank, Benjamin Dean Meritt, Harold Fredrik Cherniss, Henry Thompson Rowell, American Journal of Philology, page 3052 more examples
Alienisms in Our Language. By the present we shall know the past. From the way European languages, notably English, are spreading among our people, we can imagine with what ease and eagerness our forefathers acclimatized the ...
1972, Inazō Nitobe, The Works of Inazo Nitobe: Editorial jottings, 1930-1933In most cases English words appear in novels either as alienisms, in domesticated forms or as loan-words. Interpolated alienisms usually point to imported objects, for example drinks such as Cocacola, brandy (Kizazi), [...]
1990, Rajmund Ohly, The Zanzibarian Challenge: Swahili Prose in the Years 1975-1981
alienism2
- archaicuncountableThe study or treatment of mental disorders; psychiatry.
2016 Dr. Seward, Penny Dreadful s3e1, 32min Since I'm sure you're not familiar with alienism I'll tell you how it works.
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
alienism · noun
- Frenchaliénisme
- Englishalienism
From French aliénisme, from aliéné in the meaning of "insane".
More words from French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Esperanto alienismo
- alienismofact or position of being an alien
French aliénisme
- aliénismethe study or treatment of mental disorders; psychiatry
Italian alienismo
- alienismothe study or treatment of mental disorders; psychiatry
Portuguese alienismo
- alienismofact or position of being an alien
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
alienism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alienism
“alienism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alienism. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “alienism,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alienism.
Source: alienism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.