insulate
Americanverb (used with object)
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insulates,
present (3rd person singular)
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insulated,
past participle, past
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insulating
present participle
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to cover, line, or separate with a material that prevents or reduces the passage, transfer, or leakage of heat, electricity, or sound.
to insulate an electric wire with a rubber sheath; to insulate a coat with down.
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to place in an isolated situation or condition; segregate.
verb
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to prevent or reduce the transmission of electricity, heat, or sound to or from (a body, device, or region) by surrounding with a nonconducting material
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to isolate or detach
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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preinsulateverb (used with object)
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reinsulateverb (used with object)
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noninsulatingadjective
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superinsulatedadjective
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uninsulatedadjective
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well-insulatedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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insulatesimple
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insulatessimple
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have insulatedperfect
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has insulatedperfect
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am insulatingprogressive
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are insulatingprogressive
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is insulatingprogressive
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have been insulatingperfect progressive
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has been insulatingperfect progressive
Past
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insulatedsimple
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had insulatedperfect
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was insulatingprogressive
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were insulatingprogressive
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had been insulatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of insulate
First recorded in 1530–40, insulate is from the Latin word insulātus made into an island. See insula, -ate 1
Explanation
The verb insulate means "protect from heat, cold, or noise," like when you add an extra layer of clothing to insulate yourself from the cold. You can insulate a wall to keep sound out, or insulate your house to keep cold air from getting inside. So, to insulate is to protect against unwanted changes. Sometimes this can mean keeping out the influence or beliefs of other people, like a parent who tries to insulate his children from people who have different cultures or beliefs. You can see this meaning in the origin of insulate: the Latin word insula, meaning “to make into an island.”
Vocabulary lists containing insulate
Conservation of Energy and Energy Transfer - Introductory
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This Week in Words: February 12 - 16, 2018
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Conservation of Energy and Energy Transfer - Middle School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Seeking to insulate herself from voter anger at Berlin, she has publicly challenged the national government on its plans to tighten pension rules and over soaring fuel prices.
From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026
A huge wrinkle is that larger cities and metro areas benefit from economies of scale that help insulate them: they can afford dedicated OT security staff and redundant control systems.
From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2026
Economists and policymakers widely agree that it is critical for the Fed to be independent from politics—a longstanding principle intended to insulate interest-rate policy from short-term thinking.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
“We have to to be able to manage, we have to be able to insulate as much as we can, and then we have to be able to lead with conversation,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
Instead of living in concert with the land, instead of relying on the country for sustenance as the natives did, he attempted to insulate himself from the northern environment with ill-suited military tools and traditions.
From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer
She’s looking into options like a cover that insulates the water, hybrid heaters and new electric heating models.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 18, 2026
The historical record here may show that being a lame duck insulates a Fed chair from political pressures.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 19, 2026
It insulates the water in winter while allowing it to melt in summer, Siebach said.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 6, 2026
"Investors and global central banks have... favoured gold as their reserve currency of choice, which they believe insulates them from US policy dependence," says Wall.
From BBC ● Jan. 30, 2026
Myelin is often likened to the plastic coating around electrical wires—it insulates the neural circuits, making them about a hundred times faster than unmyelinated circuits.
From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater
They are typically insulated from the anchors and pundits during coverage, but occasionally show up on the air when necessary.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026
Management has insulated the business by maintaining minimal customer overlap since the deal, meaning if one group is particularly challenged, it isn’t felt across other platforms.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
The company has already moved to make itself a transatlantic power insulated from US and Chinese control.
From Barron's ● Oct. 29, 2026
“Since wealthier buyers are more likely to be insulated from inflation and other headwinds that are pushing some buyers to the sidelines, we’re seeing the homes that sell trend toward the higher end.”
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 28, 2026
In the morning, as my mom showers, I stack the frozen plastic containers inside an insulated lunch pack, which I place in the bottom of my backpack.
From "The Thing About Jellyfish" by Ali Benjamin
But Apple’s “go-slow” strategy comes in handy on days when investor concerns about AI overspending flare up, insulating the stock from downturns that hit the semiconductor space.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026
These manmade chemicals are stable, resistant to extreme temperatures and pressures and have insulating properties.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
The material contains micrometer-scale gold crenelated structures positioned above an insulating layer and a semiconductor made from a mixture of indium and antimony.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 31, 2026
Unlike electricity, to which AI is often compared, users don’t have to wait for a power line or the invention of capacitors, insulating materials and electric motors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Her chicks were under her breast feathers, nestled against her brood patch; her wings were around them like insulating blankets.
From "Frightful's Mountain" by Jean Craighead George
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