isolative

American

[ahy-suh-ley-tiv, is-uh-] / ˈaɪ səˌleɪ tɪv, ˈɪs ə- /

adjective

noting a change in part of the sound of a word made independently of the phonetic environment of that part.

isolative British

/ ˈaɪsələtɪv, ˈaɪsəˌleɪtɪv /

adjective

(of a sound change) occurring in all linguistic environments, as the change of Middle English / iː / to Modern English / aɪ /, as in time Compare combinative
of, relating to, or concerned with isolation

"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

Other Word Forms

unisolative

adjective

Etymology

Origin of isolative

First recorded in 1885–90; isolate + -ive

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.

"It's about looking for things whether school declines or home-relationships decline, if they're, being more isolative," Enenbach said.

From Salon • Apr. 3, 2022

In recent months, he was depressed, defeated and increasingly isolative.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 21, 2017

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023