What does "isolate" mean?
Something that has been isolated.
Isolate
/ˈaɪ.sə.leɪt/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Something that has been isolated.
- Grammar: isolate is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: abrupt, abscind, abstract, abstracting.
- Useful contrasts: biotic network, bridging plan, clear blend.
- Usage evidence: Johnson is a recluse; he prefers to isolate himself from the rest of the students in our class.
How to use "isolate"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "isolate" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "isolate" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "isolate" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "isolate" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "isolate" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abrupt" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "isolate", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Something that has been isolated.
"We used electropherotypes in order to differentiate the original parental strains or isolates from the finally tumor cell-adapted isolates."
Verb
- 1 To set apart or cut off from others. transitive
"By isolating these two main types of relation, hyponymy and incompatibility, we can characterize the relations between a large web of items."
- 2 place or set apart wordnet
- 3 To place in quarantine or isolation. transitive
- 4 set apart from others wordnet
- 5 To separate a substance in pure form from a mixture. transitive
"To isolate the petroline the condensed oil is distilled again until fifty per cent. of oil has been obtained, and what is left in the still is petroline."
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 obtain in pure form wordnet
- 7 To insulate, or make free of external influence. transitive
"One of the hidden glories of Victorian engineering is proper drains. Isolating a city’s effluent and shipping it away in underground sewers has probably saved more lives than any medical procedure except vaccination."
- 8 separate (experiences) from the emotions relating to them wordnet
- 9 To separate a pure strain of bacteria etc. from a mixed culture. transitive
- 10 To insulate an electrical component from a source of electricity. transitive
- 11 To self-isolate. intransitive
Adjective
- 1 isolated. literary, not-comparable
"He said in his heart, the day his beard was shaven he was beaten, lost. He identified it with his isolate manhood."
Antonyms
biotic networkbridging planclear blendclinical cohorting
Example
"Johnson is a recluse; he prefers to isolate himself from the rest of the students in our class."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "isolate"?
Common synonyms include: abrupt, abscind, abstract, abstracting, abstracts, alienate.
How do you use "isolate" in a sentence?
Johnson is a recluse; he prefers to isolate himself from the rest of the students in our class.
How do you pronounce "isolate"?
Pronounced /ˈaɪ.sə.leɪt/.
Etymology
Back-formation from isolated, from French isolé, from Italian isolato, from Latin īnsulatus (whence also insulate), see -ate (etymology 1, 2 and 3).