DictionaryalienateTransfer of ownership
verb

alienate

Transfer property or rights to another person.

The contract limits the owner's ability to alienate the land.

Etymology

Latin alienare meant to make something another’s or transfer it. The legal sense retains that literal change of belonging: ownership or rights pass from one person to another.

More examples

  • The deed alienates the property to a new owner.
  • They had already alienated their rights to the mineral deposits.
  • The agreement prohibits alienating the asset without approval.

Forms

alienate · alienates · alienated · alienating

Similar words

convey
The usual formal term for transferring property rights.
sell
Specifies an exchange for payment rather than any transfer.