isolation

American  

[ahy-suh-lay-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

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Etymology

Origin of isolation

First recorded in 1825–35; isolate + -ion

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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

A marriage story weighty enough to bear two fascinatingly complex couples, it explores a web of isolation and desire knotted with the divisions and woes of society today: class, labor, media.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026

The patient, who health sources have told the BBC is not Nigerian and is the wife of a diplomat, is in isolation and receiving medical care after being admitted to a hospital in Abuja.

From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026

Locked away in their quarantine pod, the isolation proved the perfect opportunity to comb through hours of archival footage, stitching a story from B-roll and memories, both of which Eleanor had plenty of.

From Salon ● Oct. 20, 2026

Getting outside, particularly in nature, may be especially beneficial for preventing dementia – possibly because it improves mood and sleep while reducing isolation – all dementia risk factors.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 19, 2026

Frustration at his isolation maybe—or maybe just wanting to bring a sliver of his old life into his new one.

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman

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

“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

As if to underscore the characters’ roiling emotions and the rally’s heated atmosphere, the actors sometimes deploy stylized movements, including abrupt arm isolations.

From Washington Post ● Jun. 14, 2022

Migrations and isolations will thus tend to fix in the machine variations which sexual union or other influences inaugurate.

From The Story of the Living Machine A Review of the Conclusions of Modern Biology in Regard to the Mechanism Which Controls the Phenomena of Living Activity by H. W. (Herbert William) Conn

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Related Words

• confinement
• desolation
• remoteness
• segregation
• solitude

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