isolate

The word “isolate” means to separate someone or something from others. In plain terms, to set something or someone apart, cutting off contact with everything else.

“Isolate” is pronounced EYE-suh-layt (/ˈaɪ.sə.leɪt/ in IPA).

Here is “isolate” used in a sentence: “The hospital isolated the patient to stop the infection spreading.”

“Isolate” is a verb.

The word “isolate” comes from Latin. Formed from "isolated," which came through French isolé and Italian isolato, ultimately from Latin insula, "island" — the same root as "insulate.".

“Isolate” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the C1 level.

“Isolate” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to separate someone or something from others.

To isolate means broadly to separate someone or something from others, while quarantine specifically refers to isolating people or animals to prevent the spread of disease. Isolate is the more general term and applies well beyond health contexts.

Isolate means to separate something from others entirely, cutting off contact or connection. Insulate means to protect something from an external effect (like cold or noise) without necessarily removing all contact, so the two overlap but are not identical.

In science, to isolate a substance or organism means to separate it out from a mixture so it can be studied or used on its own. This sense is common in chemistry, biology, and medicine, such as isolating a compound or a strain of bacteria.

In everyday dictionary use, isolate functions as a verb meaning to separate something from others. It describes an action taken on a person, object, or substance rather than describing a state.