What does "isolation" mean?
The state of being isolated, detached, or separated; the state of being away from other people.
Isolation
/ˌaɪsəˈleɪʃən/ noun
noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The state of being isolated, detached, or separated; the state of being away from other people.
- Grammar: isolation is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: abstraction, academic loneliness, acute emotional loneliness, algebraic isolation.
- Useful contrasts: academic collaboration, academic communities, assyrian community.
- Usage evidence: We shouldn't confuse solitude with isolation. They are two separate things.
How to use "isolation"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "isolation" 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 "isolation" 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 "isolation" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "isolation" 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 "isolation" is acting as noun 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 "abstraction" 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 "isolation", 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 The state of being isolated, detached, or separated; the state of being away from other people. uncountable
"She lived her final year in complete isolation, not wanting to see anybody."
- 2 the act of isolating something; setting something apart from others wordnet
- 3 The act of isolating. countable, uncountable
- 4 a country's withdrawal from international politics wordnet
- 5 The state of not having diplomatic relations with other countries (either with most or all other countries, or with specified other countries). countable, uncountable
"As of 1975, diplomatic ostracism is still imposed by the Organization of American States (OAS). The inter-American community also exercises a trade embargo against Cuba. But even within this context of hemispheric isolation, Havana’s diplomacy is strikingly contradictory."
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 a feeling of being disliked and alone wordnet
- 7 The obtaining of an element from one of its compounds, or of a compound from a mixture countable, uncountable
- 8 (psychiatry) a defense mechanism in which memory of an unacceptable act or impulse is separated from the emotion originally associated with it wordnet
- 9 The separation of a patient, suffering from a contagious disease, from contact with others (compare: quarantine) countable, uncountable
"Upon returning from the field, he went into isolation for a week so as not to infect anyone with potential diseases."
- 10 a state of separation between persons or groups wordnet
- 11 A database property that determines when and how changes made in one transaction are visible to other concurrent transactions. countable, uncountable
- 12 A Freudian defense mechanism in which a person suppresses a harmful thought from developing into a train of thought. countable, uncountable
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
academic collaborationacademic communitiesassyrian communitybiological interaction
Example
"We shouldn't confuse solitude with isolation. They are two separate things."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "isolation"?
Common synonyms include: abstraction, academic loneliness, acute emotional loneliness, algebraic isolation, alien, alienating.
How do you use "isolation" in a sentence?
We shouldn't confuse solitude with isolation. They are two separate things.
How do you pronounce "isolation"?
Pronounced /ˌaɪsəˈleɪʃən/.
Etymology
First attested in 1800. From French isolation, from isolé, placed on an island (thus away from other people). Equivalent to isolate + -ion.