I. a ‧ li ‧ en 1 /ˈeɪliən/ BrE AmE adjective
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: Latin alienus , from alius 'other' ]
1 . very different from what you are used to, especially in a way that is difficult to understand or accept SYN strange :
the alien environment of the city
be alien to somebody
a way of life that is totally alien to us
2 . belonging to another country or race SYN foreign :
alien cultures
an alien multiracial society
3 . [only before noun] relating to creatures from another world:
alien beings from another planet
II. alien 2 BrE AmE noun [countable]
1 . someone who is not a legal citizen of the country they are living or working in:
illegal aliens entering the country.
REGISTER
Alien is used in official contexts. In everyday English, foreigner is used, but can sound disapproving or unfriendly. To avoid this, people often use the expression people from other countries instead:
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In those days people from other countries rarely came to Japan.
2 . in stories, a creature from another world
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THESAURUS
▪ citizen someone who lives in a particular town, country, or state:
In order to become a US citizen, you need to have a Permanent Resident card.
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All British citizens have the right to live in the UK.
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Good citizens understand that they have a responsibility to the community.
▪ national a citizen of a country who is living in another country:
She insisted that foreign nationals were safe in the country.
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Russians nationals were ordered to leave.
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Her husband is a French national.
▪ resident someone who lives in a particular street or area:
There have been complaints by local residents about the building work.
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She was a resident of Chicago for many years.
▪ native someone who was born in a particular country but moved to another country – used when describing a person or their life:
Picasso was a native of Spain, although he spent much of his life in France.
▪ subject someone who was born in a country that has a king or queen, and has a right to live there:
Northern Ireland citizens are British subjects.
▪ alien formal someone who is not a legal citizen of the country they are living or working in - used in official contexts:
Employers cannot hire illegal aliens.