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Prepositions after adjectives

Estranged from, for, by, to or till?

The standard pattern is estranged from. Other prepositions may appear in the sentence for different meanings, but they are not normal complements of estranged.

Quick answer

Which preposition follows estranged?

Use estranged from to describe emotional or social separation between people. Estranged for, estranged by, estranged to, and estranged till are not standard complements after the adjective.

He became estranged from his brother.
She has long been estranged from her family.
They grew estranged from each other after the dispute.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
estranged from + person

Describing broken relationships

Use estranged from with family members, friends, or partners.

She is estranged from her father.
After the argument, he felt estranged from his colleagues.
2
estranged from + group

Describing social distance

The pattern can also describe separation from a community or identity.

He felt estranged from society.
Many migrants feel estranged from their homeland.
3
estranged by + cause

Adding the reason separately

By can introduce the cause of estrangement in a passive-style clause, not a direct complement.

They were estranged by years of conflict.
The siblings became estranged by financial disagreements.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
estranged from
She is estranged from her parents.
Standard pattern for emotional or social separation.
estranged for
They were estranged for many years.
For introduces duration, not the complement of the adjective.
estranged by
The brothers were estranged by political disagreements.
By introduces the cause of the separation.
estranged to
This combination is not standard in current English.
Avoid using to directly after estranged.
estranged till
They remained estranged till his retirement.
Till introduces time, not the complement of the adjective.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using to instead of from

Estranged normally takes from.

✕ She is estranged to her sister. ✓ She is estranged from her sister.

Confusing duration with complement

For can describe how long the estrangement lasted.

✕ He is estranged for his family. ✓ He is estranged from his family.

Using till as the main complement

Till can describe time, not relationship.

✕ They became estranged till each other. ✓ They became estranged from each other.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. He has been estranged ___ his son since 2018.
2. They were estranged ___ many years.
3. The cousins were estranged ___ a dispute over money.

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Frequently asked questions

Is estranged to correct?

No. Standard English uses estranged from.

Can estranged by be correct?

Yes, when by introduces the cause, such as estranged by conflict.

How do I describe the length of estrangement?

Use for with a time expression, such as estranged for ten years.

eager-for-to-in-about, on "early in", "early on" or "early for"? earnest in, with, on, for or at? easy for, on, in, to or with? "economical with" or "economical in"? "ecstatic about" or "ecstatic with"? "effective in", "effective at" or "effective for"? "efficient in" or "efficient at"? elderly in, with, at, of or as? elegant in, with, of, as or to? eligible for, to, in or under? "embarrassed by" or "embarrassed about"?

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