isolate

/ˈaɪsəleɪt/

Say it: EYE-suh-layt

1. verb To set or place apart from others, causing something or someone to be alone or separate.
The coach would isolate the star player during practice to work on specific skills.
2. verb In science, to identify and obtain a substance or microorganism in a pure or free form.
After months of work, the chemists were finally able to isolate the active compound.
3. noun A person, group, or thing that has been or has become isolated.
The remote mountain village was a cultural isolate, untouched by modern trends.

📖 Seen in the wild

Scientists worked to isolate the specific compound responsible for the drug's effects.
collected by @vocablast

✏️ isolate in a sentence

To understand the problem, we must first isolate the root cause from its symptoms.
He tends to isolate himself from his colleagues, preferring to eat lunch alone at his desk.
The country's political policies threatened to isolate it from the international community.
Researchers are working to isolate the gene responsible for the hereditary condition.
The software bug was tricky because we couldn't isolate the exact conditions that triggered it.
The jury was isolated in a hotel for the duration of the high-profile trial.
It's a mistake to isolate this event from its historical context.

🔁 Synonyms & antonyms

separate detach segregate quarantine sequester insulate cut off set apart

separate · a more general term that doesn't imply the same degree of aloneness.

detach · suggests unfastening something from a larger group or structure it was connected to.

segregate · implies separating into specific groups, often with a negative social or political connotation.

quarantine · specifically refers to isolating due to risk of contagious disease.

Opposites: integrate, combine, unite, connect, join

🌱 Where it comes from

The word 'isolate' comes from the Italian 'isolato', meaning 'made into an island'. This itself derives from the Latin word for island, 'insula'. The meaning evolved from the literal sense of making something an island to the figurative sense of setting anything apart from its surroundings.

🧩 How it's used

Common patterns:

isolate a variableisolate the causeisolate a patientsocially isolatedgeographically isolatedisolate a problem

While often used interchangeably with 'separate', 'isolate' implies a more complete state of being alone. Be mindful of its two main contexts: the social sense often carries a negative feeling of loneliness, while the scientific or technical sense is neutral and precise. Do not confuse it with 'insulate', which means to protect something with a barrier, not necessarily to make it alone.

Word family: isolation, isolated, isolator, isolationism

💬 Quick answers

What does it mean to isolate something?

It means to separate something or someone completely from others. This can be done physically, socially, or for the purpose of analysis, like in a scientific experiment.

What is the difference between 'isolate' and 'separate'?

'Separate' is a general term for keeping things apart. 'Isolate' is a stronger word, implying a more complete and deliberate separation that leaves the subject entirely on its own.

What is the noun for 'isolate'?

The most common noun is 'isolation,' which is the state of being alone. The word 'isolate' itself can also be a noun, typically in scientific contexts, referring to a thing that has been isolated.

Is 'isolate' a negative word?

It often has negative connotations of loneliness when used in a social context. However, in science or problem-solving, isolating a variable or a problem is a neutral and necessary action.

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