isolation

American  

[ahy-suh-ley-shuhn, is-uh-] / ˌaɪ səˈleɪ ʃən, ˌɪs ə- /

noun

• isolations
  plural

1. an act or instance of isolating.

2. the state of being isolated.

3. the complete separation from others of a person suffering from contagious or infectious disease; quarantine.

   Synonyms:

   segregation

4. the separation of a nation from other nations by isolationism.

5. Psychoanalysis. a process whereby an idea or memory is divested of its emotional component.

6. Sociology. social isolation.

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isolation British  

/ ˌaɪsəˈleɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of isolating or the condition of being isolated

2. (of a country, party, etc) nonparticipation in or withdrawal from international politics

3. med

   1. social separation of a person who has or is suspected of having a contagious disease Compare quarantine

   2. ( as modifier )

      an isolation hospital

4. sociol a lack of contact between persons, groups, or whole societies

5. social psychol the failure of an individual to maintain contact with others or genuine communication where interaction with others persists

6. without regard to context, similar matters, etc

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Synonym Usage

See solitude.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• reisolation
  noun
• anti-isolation
  adjective
• postisolation
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• isolations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of isolation

First recorded in 1825–35; isolate + -ion

Explanation

Isolation means completely alone, like the stranded skiers who were in total isolation after an avalanche stranded them at the top of a mountain. People who live in isolation are completely cut off from the rest of the world, like the hermit who lives in a lonely mountain cabin because no one understands his desire to collect thimbles. A really contagious illness can land patients in isolation at their local hospital, kept separate from the rest of the hospital so they don't share their disease with the other patients. A country can exist in isolation, left alone because other nations don't agree with its policies.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

isolation isolations

"In general, the United States of America has nothing that it can do that had not done before," Laylaz said, noting years of isolation had made Iran's economy largely self-sufficient.

From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026

I am focusing on these nine indicators in tandem because, when focusing on this or that indicator in isolation, the bulls often can point to possible theoretical objections to its message.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 24, 2026

"It will be a combination of economic isolation, like the world has never seen before," Bessent told conservative television network Newsmax.

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

To combat the isolation and boredom, troops sometimes do fun activities aboard the ship, like hold singing competitions and picnics on the top deck.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

The isolation of the bayou, while inconvenient, made the Warden feel safe from big-city dangers.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French

File on 4 Investigates the use of internal isolations in secondary schools in England and hears from parents and students who say such techniques are affecting their mental health.

From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026

Shayewitz drew up all kinds of plays for Wells, isolations and post-ups and everything in between.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 16, 2023

Because they spent their early teenage years internalizing Spears’s dancing on MTV, the Madrids, who are known for their narrative choreography and staccato isolations, consider themselves “natural extensions of her and her work.”

From New York Times ● Jun. 21, 2023

“Very defensive-minded and a lot of isolations, the ball’s going to be in Jaquez and Tyger’s hands a lot.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 20, 2023

Yet they serve to break down isolations of sympathy, all sorts of physical and intellectual sluggishness and the development of unsocial preoccupations of many sorts...

From First and Last Things by H. G. (Herbert George) Wells

Related Words

• confinement
• desolation
• remoteness
• segregation
• solitude