Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • transitive verb To cause to lose affection or loyalty.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To alienate the affection of; make less friendly; make discontented or unfriendly: as, an attempt was made to disaffect the army.
  • To lack affection or esteem for; not to affect; dislike; stand aloof from: as, to disaffect society.
  • To throw into disorder; derange.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To alienate or diminish the affection of; to make unfriendly or less friendly; to fill with discontent and unfriendliness.
  • transitive verb To disturb the functions of; to disorder.
  • transitive verb obsolete To lack affection for; to be alienated from, or indisposed toward; to dislike.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb To cause a loss of affection, sympathy or loyalty; to alienate or estrange

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb arouse hostility or indifference in where there had formerly been love, affection, or friendliness

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

dis- +‎ affect

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Examples

  • I understand that sentiment, and while addressing controversial issues may anger a few, not doing so could disaffect a far greater number of people if speaking out would have made a difference in the public understanding of an issue or led to an improved outcome as a result.

    Thomas Fisher: Tenure: Use It or Lose It Thomas Fisher 2011

  • I understand that sentiment, and while addressing controversial issues may anger a few, not doing so could disaffect a far greater number of people if speaking out would have made a difference in the public understanding of an issue or led to an improved outcome as a result.

    Thomas Fisher: Tenure: Use It or Lose It Thomas Fisher 2011

  • I understand that sentiment, and while addressing controversial issues may anger a few, not doing so could disaffect a far greater number of people if speaking out would have made a difference in the public understanding of an issue or led to an improved outcome as a result.

    Thomas Fisher: Tenure: Use It or Lose It Thomas Fisher 2011

  • I understand that sentiment, and while addressing controversial issues may anger a few, not doing so could disaffect a far greater number of people if speaking out would have made a difference in the public understanding of an issue or led to an improved outcome as a result.

    Thomas Fisher: Tenure: Use It or Lose It Thomas Fisher 2011

  • I understand that sentiment, and while addressing controversial issues may anger a few, not doing so could disaffect a far greater number of people if speaking out would have made a difference in the public understanding of an issue or led to an improved outcome as a result.

    Thomas Fisher: Tenure: Use It or Lose It Thomas Fisher 2011

  • Mike, Raleigh: 18 million people aren't going to disaffect because their candidate lost.

    Obama keeps Dean 2008

  • I think retreat and a hard pivot to the economy is the best move, but Obama will have to throw some red meat to the liberal base on that issue too… which will only serve to disaffect more in the center and the working class type Ds.

    Neither Reid nor Pelosi have the Votes to do Anything Else on ObamaCare | RedState 2010

  • Nothing could be more calculated to disaffect him from the new dispensation and thus any such plan can only prove to be short-sighted in the extreme.

    Archive 2007-10-21 2007

  • Nothing could be more calculated to disaffect him from the new dispensation and thus any such plan can only prove to be short-sighted in the extreme.

    SA Enjoys It While it Can 2007

  • And if you think that public knowledge of your nonprofit's contributions would disaffect your financial supporters or create bad publicity for your organization, why on earth are you doing it in the first place?

    Archive 2007-09-01 Dan 2007

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