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Synonyms

isolationism

American  
[ahy-suh-ley-shuh-niz-uhm, is-uh-] / ˌaɪ səˈleɪ ʃəˌnɪz əm, ˌɪs ə- /

noun

  1. 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.

isolationism British  
/ ˌaɪsəˈleɪʃəˌnɪzəm /

noun

  1. a policy of nonparticipation in or withdrawal from international affairs

  2. an attitude favouring such a policy

"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 Cultural  

  1. 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.”)

Other Word Forms

  • anti-isolationism noun
  • isolationist noun

Etymology

Origin of isolationism

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

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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.

Most presidential administrations have claimed to operate according to a foreign policy doctrine of some kind: for instance, neoconservatism, liberal internationalism, isolationism, or realpolitik.

From Salon • Mar. 14, 2026

Cato’s foreign policy ideas tended toward isolationism, even at the height of the Cold War, which made it largely irrelevant in those debates.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026

But as he wrote about the forces at play, such as AI, climate change, and isolationism, “it became clear that they might actually generate instability rather than stability.”

From Barron's • Jan. 22, 2026

After the World War One, the US left Europe and returned to isolationism.

From BBC • Jan. 8, 2026

Her letter failed because she couldn’t conceive of the profundity of your problem—she couldn’t fathom the pressures brought to bear upon you because of environment, intellectual frustration and a growing tendency toward isolationism.

From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote

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.