Standard Lemma guide

isolate

adj · noun · verb · 13 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.

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  • /ˈaɪ.sə.lət/
  • /ˈaɪ.sə.leɪt/
  • CMU ARPABET: AY1 S AH0 L EY2 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

isolated.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: literary, not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Something that has been isolated.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To set apart or cut off from others.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: island, enisle, quarantine

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To place in quarantine or isolation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: quarantine

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To separate a substance in pure form from a mixture.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Topics: chemistry, natural-sciences, physical-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To insulate, or make free of external influence.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

To separate a pure strain of bacteria etc. from a mixed culture.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Topics: biology, microbiology, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

To insulate an electrical component from a source of electricity.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

verb

Meaning 9

To self-isolate.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: self-quarantine

Antonyms: none provided

10

verb

Meaning 10

place or set apart

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • They isolated the political prisoners from the other inmates

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: insulate

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: discriminate, separate, single out

Narrower terms: segregate, ghettoize, ghettoise, cloister, seclude, sequester, sequestrate, withdraw, quarantine, maroon

11

verb

Meaning 11

set apart from others

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The dentist sequesters the tooth he is working on

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: sequester, sequestrate, keep apart, set apart

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: separate, disunite, divide, part

12

verb

Meaning 12

obtain in pure form

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The chemist managed to isolate the compound

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: get, acquire

Narrower terms: preisolate

13

verb

Meaning 13

separate (experiences) from the emotions relating to them

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: classify, class, sort, assort, sort out, separate

History

Etymology

Back-formation from isolated, from French isolé, from Italian isolato, from Latin īnsulatus (whence also insulate), see -ate (etymology 1, 2 and 3).

Across languages

Translations

84 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Portuguese: isolado — something that has been isolated
  • Russian: изоля́т (izolját) — something that has been isolated
  • Spanish: aislado — something that has been isolated
  • Arabic: عَزَلَ (ʕazala) — transitive: to set apart or cut off from others
  • Azerbaijani: təcrid etmək — transitive: to set apart or cut off from others
  • Azerbaijani: təkləmək — transitive: to set apart or cut off from others
  • Bulgarian: отделям (otdeljam) — transitive: to set apart or cut off from others
  • Bulgarian: уединявам (uedinjavam) — transitive: to set apart or cut off from others
  • Catalan: aïllar — transitive: to set apart or cut off from others
  • Catalan: isolar — transitive: to set apart or cut off from others
  • Chinese Mandarin: 孤立 (gūlì) — transitive: to set apart or cut off from others
  • Danish: isolere — transitive: to set apart or cut off from others
  • Dutch: isoleren — transitive: to set apart or cut off from others
  • Esperanto: izoli — transitive: to set apart or cut off from others
  • French: isoler — transitive: to set apart or cut off from others
  • French: esseuler — transitive: to set apart or cut off from others
  • Galician: aillar — transitive: to set apart or cut off from others
  • Galician: illar — transitive: to set apart or cut off from others
  • German: isolieren — transitive: to set apart or cut off from others
  • German: absondern — transitive: to set apart or cut off from others
  • German: abdichten — transitive: to set apart or cut off from others
  • Hungarian: elszigetel — transitive: to set apart or cut off from others
  • Interlingua: isolar — transitive: to set apart or cut off from others
  • Irish: aonraigh — transitive: to set apart or cut off from others
  • Italian: isolare — transitive: to set apart or cut off from others
  • Japanese: 切り離す (kirihanasu) — transitive: to set apart or cut off from others
  • Japanese: 隔絶する (kakuzetsu suru) — transitive: to set apart or cut off from others
  • Japanese: 孤立させる (koritsu saseru) — transitive: to set apart or cut off from others
  • Kazakh: жекелеу (jekeleu) — transitive: to set apart or cut off from others
  • Luxembourgish: isoléieren — transitive: to set apart or cut off from others
  • Māori: whakamomotu — transitive: to set apart or cut off from others
  • Māori: whakamohoao — transitive: to set apart or cut off from others
  • Norwegian: isolere — transitive: to set apart or cut off from others
  • Polish: odizolowywać — transitive: to set apart or cut off from others
  • Polish: odizolować — transitive: to set apart or cut off from others
  • Portuguese: isolar — transitive: to set apart or cut off from others
  • Romanian: izola — transitive: to set apart or cut off from others
  • Russian: изоли́ровать (izolírovatʹ) — transitive: to set apart or cut off from others
  • Russian: обособля́ть (obosobljátʹ) — transitive: to set apart or cut off from others
  • Russian: обосо́бить (obosóbitʹ) — transitive: to set apart or cut off from others
  • Spanish: aislar — transitive: to set apart or cut off from others
  • Swedish: isolera — transitive: to set apart or cut off from others
  • Swedish: avskilja — transitive: to set apart or cut off from others
  • Ukrainian: відокре́млювати (vidokrémljuvaty) — transitive: to set apart or cut off from others
  • Ukrainian: відокре́мити (vidokrémyty) — transitive: to set apart or cut off from others
  • Ukrainian: ізолюва́ти (izoljuváty) — transitive: to set apart or cut off from others
  • Bulgarian: изолирам (izoliram) — transitive: to place in quarantine or isolation
  • Bulgarian: поставям под карантина (postavjam pod karantina) — transitive: to place in quarantine or isolation
  • Chinese Mandarin: 隔離 /隔离 (gélí) — transitive: to place in quarantine or isolation
  • Danish: isolere — transitive: to place in quarantine or isolation
  • Dutch: isoleren — transitive: to place in quarantine or isolation
  • Irish: aonraigh — transitive: to place in quarantine or isolation
  • Italian: isolare — transitive: to place in quarantine or isolation
  • Japanese: 隔離する (kakuri suru) — transitive: to place in quarantine or isolation
  • Polish: izolować — transitive: to place in quarantine or isolation
  • Romanian: izola — transitive: to place in quarantine or isolation
  • Swedish: isolera — transitive: to place in quarantine or isolation
  • Bulgarian: отделям (otdeljam) — transitive, chemistry: to separate a substance in pure form from a mixture
  • Bulgarian: изолирам (izoliram) — transitive, chemistry: to separate a substance in pure form from a mixture
  • Chinese Mandarin: 離析 /离析 (líxī) — transitive, chemistry: to separate a substance in pure form from a mixture
  • Chinese Mandarin: 分離 /分离 (fēnlí) — transitive, chemistry: to separate a substance in pure form from a mixture
  • Danish: isolere — transitive, chemistry: to separate a substance in pure form from a mixture
  • Dutch: afscheiden — transitive, chemistry: to separate a substance in pure form from a mixture
  • Italian: isolare — transitive, chemistry: to separate a substance in pure form from a mixture
  • Polish: izolować — transitive, chemistry: to separate a substance in pure form from a mixture
  • Romanian: izola — transitive, chemistry: to separate a substance in pure form from a mixture
  • Swedish: isolera — transitive, chemistry: to separate a substance in pure form from a mixture
  • Bulgarian: изолирам (izoliram) — transitive: to insulate, or make free of external influence
  • Danish: isolere — transitive: to insulate, or make free of external influence
  • Dutch: isoleren — transitive: to insulate, or make free of external influence
  • Italian: isolare — transitive: to insulate, or make free of external influence
  • Japanese: 遮断する (shadan suru) — transitive: to insulate, or make free of external influence
  • Polish: izolować — transitive: to insulate, or make free of external influence
  • Romanian: izola — transitive: to insulate, or make free of external influence
  • Dutch: isoleren — transitive, microbiology: to separate a pure strain of bacteria etc. from a mixed culture
  • Italian: isolare — transitive, microbiology: to separate a pure strain of bacteria etc. from a mixed culture
  • Polish: izolować — transitive, microbiology: to separate a pure strain of bacteria etc. from a mixed culture
  • Romanian: izola — transitive, microbiology: to separate a pure strain of bacteria etc. from a mixed culture
  • Bulgarian: изолирам (izoliram) — transitive: to insulate an electrical component from a source of electricity
  • Danish: isolere — transitive: to insulate an electrical component from a source of electricity
  • Dutch: isoleren — transitive: to insulate an electrical component from a source of electricity
  • Italian: isolare — transitive: to insulate an electrical component from a source of electricity
  • Polish: izolować — transitive: to insulate an electrical component from a source of electricity
  • Romanian: izola — transitive: to insulate an electrical component from a source of electricity