insulate
Americanverb (used with object)
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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
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.
“Then there is a growing sense that if you’re part of an elite, you can insulate yourself from these changes, and if you’re not, you can’t.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026
Elsewhere, political leaders are turning to green energy to insulate them from some of the economic impacts of rising fossil fuel prices.
From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026
"Energy efficiency, reducing consumption, and investing to insulate ourselves from global energy price shocks" should form part of the response instead, he said.
From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026
Brad Conger, chief investment officer at Hirtle Callaghan, said that the fact that the U.S. is a net energy exporter has likely helped insulate stocks from some of the fallout.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026
We're not packed as tightly as we were upon our arrival, but it's ironic—now I wish for that closeness to insulate me from the icy air blowing in.
From "What the Night Sings" by Vesper Stamper
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
