isolate

American  

[ahy-suh-leyt, ahy-suh-lit, -leyt] / ˈaɪ səˌleɪt, ˈaɪ sə lɪt, -ˌleɪt /

verb (used with object)

isolated, isolating

1. to set or place apart; detach or separate so as to be alone.

2. Medicine/Medical. to keep (an infected person) from contact with noninfected persons; quarantine.

3. Chemistry, Bacteriology. to obtain (a substance or microorganism) in an uncombined or pure state.

4. Electricity. to insulate.

5. Television. to single out (a person, action, etc.) for a camera closeup.

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noun

1. a person, thing, or group that is set apart or isolated, as for purposes of study.

2. Psychology. a person, often shy or lacking in social skills, who avoids the company of others and has no friends within a group.

3. Biology. an inbreeding population that is isolated from similar populations by physiological, behavioral, or geographic barriers.

4. Also called language isolate.  Linguistics. a language with no demonstrable genetic relationship, as Basque.

5. something that has been isolated, as a by-product in a manufacturing process.

   an isolate of soy flour.

adjective

1. isolated; alone.

isolate British  

verb

1. to place apart; cause to be alone

2. med to quarantine (a person or animal) having or suspected of having a contagious disease

3. to obtain (a compound) in an uncombined form

4. to obtain pure cultures of (bacteria, esp those causing a particular disease)

5. electronics to prevent interaction between (circuits, components, etc); insulate

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noun

1. an isolated person or group

Other Word Forms

• isolability noun
• isolable adjective
• isolator noun
• reisolate verb (used with object)
• unisolate verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of isolate

First recorded in 1800–10; back formation from isolated

Example Sentences

Social media companies argue that blanket bans will be ineffective, difficult to enforce and could isolate vulnerable teenagers.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

Military strategists say that in an invasion or blockade of Taiwan, China could isolate the island nation by using mines.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

That process allowed scientists to isolate only a few cells at a time for further study.

From Science Daily • Mar. 10, 2026

At their best, sci-fi thought experiments isolate technological shocks, project them forward under different conditions of social and environmental stress, and ask: What breaks first?

From Barron's • Mar. 2, 2026

Mr. Staphopoulos believed that flexing your toes cleared your mind and that once your mind was clear, it was easy to isolate your objectives and figure out what to do next.

From "Raymie Nightingale" by Kate DiCamillo

Related Words

• confine
• detach
• disconnect
• disengage
• divide
• insulate
• remove
• segregate
• separate
• sequester