noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
/ˈɪn.s(j)ə.leɪ.tə(ɹ)/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:IH1 N S AH0 L EY2 T ER0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A substance that does not transmit heat (thermal insulator), sound (acoustic insulator) or electricity (electrical insulator).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A non-conductive structure, coating or device that does not transmit sound, heat or electricity (see image)
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
To isolate electrical wires from the pylons supporting them, one often uses glass insulators.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A person who installs insulation.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
a material such as glass or porcelain with negligible electrical or thermal conductivity
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: dielectric, nonconductor
Antonyms: conductor
Broader terms: material, stuff
Narrower terms: bushing, mineral wool, rock wool, glass wool
History
Etymology
From insulate + -or.
Across languages
Translations
64 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Catalan:
aïllant
— substance
Chinese Mandarin:
絕緣體 /绝缘体
(juéyuántǐ)
— substance
Chinese Mandarin:
絕緣子 /绝缘子
(juéyuánzǐ)
— substance
Czech:
izolant
— substance
Czech:
izolátor
— substance
Czech:
nevodič
— substance
Dutch:
isolator
— substance
Dutch:
isolatiemateriaal
— substance
Finnish:
eriste
— substance
French:
isolateur
— substance
German:
Isolator
— substance
German:
Nichtleiter
— substance
Greek:
μονωτής
(monotís)
— substance
Gujarati:
વીજરખું
(vījarkhũ)
— substance
Hungarian:
szigetelőanyag
— substance
Icelandic:
einangrari
— substance
Icelandic:
einangri
— substance
Icelandic:
einangur
— substance
Indonesian:
isolator
— substance
Italian:
isolante
— substance
Kazakh:
айырғыш
(aiyrğyş)
— substance
Macedonian:
изола́тор
(izolátor)
— substance
Malay:
penebat
— substance
Malayalam:
കുചാലകം
(kucālakaṁ)
— substance
Māori:
ārai
— substance
Māori:
ārai hiko
— substance
Māori:
ārai wera
— substance
Māori:
ārai matao
— substance
Māori:
ārai parawhiti
— substance
Norwegian Bokmål:
isolator
— substance
Norwegian Nynorsk:
isolator
— substance
Polish:
izolator
— substance
Portuguese:
isolante
— substance
Romanian:
izolator
— substance
Romanian:
material de izolare
— substance
Russian:
изоля́тор
(izoljátor)
— substance
Serbo-Croatian:
изолатор
— substance
Serbo-Croatian:
izolator
— substance
Slovene:
izolator
— substance
Spanish:
aislante
— substance
Swedish:
isolering
— substance
Tagalog:
pambukod
— substance
Thai:
ฉนวน
(chànŭan)
— substance
Turkish:
yalıtkan
— substance
Vietnamese:
chất cách điện
— substance
Catalan:
aïllant
— structure
Chinese Mandarin:
絕緣體 /绝缘体
(juéyuántǐ)
— structure
Chinese Mandarin:
絕緣子 /绝缘子
(juéyuánzǐ)
— structure
