isolation

noun

(chiefly uncountable) The state of being isolated, detached, or separated; the state of being away from other people.

The act of isolating.

(medicine) The separation of a patient, suffering from a contagious disease, from contact with others (compare: quarantine)

(diplomacy, of a country) The state of not having diplomatic relations with other countries (either with most or all other countries, or with specified other countries).

(chemistry) The obtaining of an element from one of its compounds, or of a compound from a mixture

(databases) A database property that determines when and how changes made in one transaction are visible to other concurrent transactions.

(psychology) A Freudian defense mechanism in which a person suppresses a harmful thought from developing into a train of thought.

Roots

insulaisol- · Latin · island

Synonyms for isolation

solituden alonenessn seclusionn lonelinessn insularityn solitarinessn reclusionn isolationismn lonesomenessn insulationn aloofnessn alienationn segregationn separatenessn apartnessn

Synonyms & related words for isolation

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of isolation — including solitude, aloneness, seclusion, loneliness, insularity, solitariness. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to isolation

Explore words related to isolation — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include isolative, reclusiveness, isolating, isolates, isolated, isolator, quarantined, friendlessness. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for isolation

Common synonyms for isolation include solitude, aloneness, seclusion, loneliness, insularity, solitariness, reclusion, isolationism — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does isolation come from?

The word isolation breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root isol-, from Latin insula (“island”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.