isolationism

[ahy-suh-ley-shuh-niz-uh m, is-uh-]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR isolationism ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the policy or doctrine of isolating one's country from the affairs of other nations by declining to enter into alliances, foreign economic commitments, international agreements, etc., seeking to devote the entire efforts of one's country to its own advancement and remain at peace by avoiding foreign entanglements and responsibilities.

Origin of isolationism

An Americanism dating back to 1920–25; isolation + -ism

Related formsan·ti-i·so·la·tion·ism, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for isolationism

negligence, disdain, carelessness, inattention, apathy, lack, nonchalance, alienation, disinterest, disregard, inertia, insensitivity, callousness, lethargy, coolness, stoicism, neutrality, disinterestedness, impartiality, dispassion

Examples from the Web for isolationism

Contemporary Examples of isolationism

Yet American minimalism, isolationism, realism, mind-our-own-business-ism—whatever you want to call it—is cyclical.
Rand Paul vs. the Real World
James Kirchick
September 10, 2014
So how does he end up with the leader of American isolationism?
Is Rand Paul a Secret Hawk? Or Maybe Not a Total Dove?
James Kirchick
May 9, 2014
Cheney tacitly bashed Paul last month, saying an “increasing strain of isolationism” is taking over their party.
Will Rand Paul’s Unorthodox Foreign Policy Fit in the GOP?
Kristen Soltis Anderson
April 9, 2014
Paul, by talking up his isolationism, would goad Romney into sounding like Dick Cheney.
Michael Tomasky: Why Iowa Is Mitt Romney’s Do-or-Die Moment
Michael Tomasky
January 2, 2012
The cold war lasted half a century, but isolationism never left the conservative DNA.
Peter Beinart: How Ron Paul Will Change the GOP in 2012
Peter Beinart
December 27, 2011

Historical Examples of isolationism

We have made it equally dear that we will not retreat to isolationism.
State of the Union Addresses of Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman
Perfectionism, no less than isolationism or imperialism or power politics, may obstruct the paths to international peace.
State of the Union Addresses of Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
This is a fact: Strength in the pursuit of peace is no vice; isolationism in the pursuit of security is no virtue.
Complete State of the Union Addresses from 1790 to 2006
Various
Isolationism would not only tie our hands in fighting enemies, it would keep us from helping our friends in desperate need.
Complete State of the Union Addresses from 1790 to 2006
Various

British Dictionary definitions for isolationism

isolationism

noun

a policy of nonparticipation in or withdrawal from international affairs

an attitude favouring such a policy

Derived Formsisolationist, noun, adjective

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

isolationism in Culture

isolationism

The doctrine that a nation should stay out of the disputes and affairs of other nations. The United States practiced a policy of isolationism until World War I and did not pursue an active international policy until after World War II. (See “entangling alliances with none.”)