isolate
verb · noun · adjective
Simple meaning
Place or set apart.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
eyesuhlaytSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈaɪsəleɪt
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
verb
Place or set apart
“They isolated the political prisoners from the other inmates.”
transitive
To place in quarantine or isolation.
transitive
To set apart or cut off from others.
transitive
To insulate, or make free of external influence.
transitive
To insulate an electrical component from a source of electricity.
Obtain in pure form
“The chemist managed to isolate the compound.”
noun
Something that has been isolated.
adjective
literary
Isolated.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C1 · Advanced
- Frequency
- Moderately Common
- Typical Use
- Neutral / general English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Word Aura is being prepared for this meaning.
How It’s Used
The word’s distinct uses, one example each.
Placeverb
“They isolated the political prisoners from the other inmates.”
Obtainverb
“The chemist managed to isolate the compound.”
More ways to use isolate
- “They isolated the political prisoners from the other inmates.”verb
- “The chemist managed to isolate the compound.”verb
Share your sentence
Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Use This Word
See how this word sounds in a real sentence.
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Use it yourself
Keep learning “isolate” by choosing the kind of practice you need next.
- Practice sentence writingWrite sentences with vocabulary and get instant feedback.
- Practice in contextAnswer short vocabulary questions drawn from real situations.
- Review vocabularyTest your recall and strengthen words over time.
- Practice typingType vocabulary in short rounds that draw from words you've learned and saved.
Want to type words like this one without looking at the keyboard? Each typing round draws from words you've learned, saved or need to review. Follow the free Learn to Type lessons and type your own vocabulary with confidence.
Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.