isolate

[ahy-suh-leyt, ahy-suh-lit, -leyt]

verb (used with object)

isolated, isolating 

1. to set or place apart; detach or separate so as to be alone.

2. Medicine/Medical.,  to keep (an infected person) from contact with noninfected persons; quarantine.

3. Chemistry, Bacteriology.,  to obtain (a substance or microorganism) in an uncombined or pure state.

4. Electricity.,  to insulate.

5. Television.,  to single out (a person, action, etc.) for a camera closeup.

noun

1. a person, thing, or group that is set apart or isolated, as for purposes of study.

2. Psychology.,  a person, often shy or lacking in social skills, who avoids the company of others and has no friends within a group.

3. Biology.,  an inbreeding population that is isolated from similar populations by physiological, behavioral, or geographic barriers.

4. Also called language isolate. Linguistics.,  a language with no demonstrable genetic relationship, as Basque.

5. something that has been isolated, as a by-product in a manufacturing process.

   an isolate of soy flour.

adjective

1. isolated; alone.

isolate

verb

1. to place apart; cause to be alone

2. med to quarantine (a person or animal) having or suspected of having a contagious disease

3. to obtain (a compound) in an uncombined form

4. to obtain pure cultures of (bacteria, esp those causing a particular disease)

5. electronics to prevent interaction between (circuits, components, etc); insulate

noun

1. an isolated person or group

Other Word Forms

• isolator noun
• reisolate verb (used with object)
• unisolate verb (used with object)
• isolable adjective
• isolability noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of isolate¹

First recorded in 1800–10; back formation from isolated

Word History and Origins

Origin of isolate¹

C19: back formation from isolated, via Italian from Latin insulātus, literally: made into an island; see _insulate

Example Sentences

According to the researchers, this case demonstrates that even isolated artifacts, which are often challenging to interpret, can gain meaningful historical context through careful study.

Read more on Science Daily

Many traditional approaches required killing and preserving cells at different time points, producing only isolated snapshots instead of a continuous view.

Read more on Science Daily

Severe flooding in southern coastal Khanh Hoa province washed away two suspension bridges last week, leaving many households isolated, the outlet said, citing officials.

Read more on Barron's

Record signing Nick Woltemade had cut an isolated figure, with little to feed off, particularly on the road.

Read more on BBC

Reed said he thought it might have been an isolated prank — his next-door neighbors didn’t receive any such messages — until his sister showed him a neighborhood Facebook page.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• confine 
• detach 
• disconnect 
• disengage 
• divide 
• insulate 
• remove 
• segregate 
• separate 
• sequester