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isolating

American  
[ahy-suh-ley-ting, is-uh-] / ˈaɪ səˌleɪ tɪŋ, ˈɪs ə- /

adjective

Linguistics.

  1. pertaining to or noting a language, as Vietnamese, that uses few or no bound forms and in which grammatical relationships are indicated chiefly through word order.

isolating British  
/ ˈaɪsəˌleɪtɪŋ /

adjective

  1. linguistics another word for analytic

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of isolating

First recorded in 1855–60; isolat(e) + -ing 2

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.

The internet’s vast expanse, once seen as welcoming, is horrifically isolating.

From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026

"I know to look out for the warning signs – if I'm not sleeping, eating regularly, taking on too much stress or if I'm isolating myself."

From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026

Many Americans, research shows, find nuclear family structures isolating and insufficient, with some choosing to delay or avoid marriage.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026

Either way, this Iranian regime is further isolating itself.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 2, 2026

Yet geek and nerd culture is continuously denounced as isolating, addictive, and, now, even murderous.

From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz

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.