isolate

verb

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iso·late | \ ˈī-sə-ˌlāt

also ˈi- \

isolated; isolating

Definition of isolate

(Entry 1 of 3)

transitive verb

1 : to set apart from others also : quarantine

2 : to select from among others especially : to separate from another substance so as to obtain pure or in a free state

3 : insulate

isolate

adjective

iso·late | \ ˈī-sə-lət

, -ˌlāt

also ˈi- \

Definition of isolate (Entry 2 of 3)

: being alone : solitary, isolated

isolate

noun

iso·late | \ ˈī-sə-lət

, -ˌlāt

also ˈi- \

Definition of isolate (Entry 3 of 3)

1 : an individual, population, strain, or culture obtained by or resulting from selection or separation

2 : an individual socially withdrawn or removed from society

Other Words from isolate Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about isolate

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Synonyms & Antonyms for isolate

Synonyms: Verb

Synonyms: Noun

Antonyms: Verb

Examples of isolate in a Sentence

Verb These policies will only serve to isolate the country politically and economically. Certain patients must be isolated in a separate ward. When he wants to work, he isolates himself in his office and won't talk to anyone. Scientists have isolated the gene that causes the disease. Noun interpersonal relationships are very stressful for him, so he lives as a virtual isolate on the Upper West Side of Manhattan

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Those who receive a positive test result will be required to self-isolate and seek medical attention. — Cailey Rizzo, Travel + Leisure, "Puerto Rico Will Fine Tourists Who Arrive Without a Negative COVID-19 PCR Test," 22 Apr. 2021 Passengers arriving from or having transited through Brazil need to self-isolate for 10 days in an accredited hotel, regardless of Covid test results. — CNN, "Find out which countries are welcoming international tourists back," 21 Apr. 2021 People are asked to self-isolate for 14 days, together with all their household members. — Tanya Lewis, Scientific American, "Slovakia Offers a Lesson in How Rapid Testing Can Fight COVID," 8 Apr. 2021 The bill also limits local health officials’ power to require people to quarantine or self-isolate without a specific medical diagnosis and allows Ohioans to sue over the constitutionality of any state emergency order in their home county. — Robert Higgs, cleveland, "Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish, Health Commissioner Terry Allan say legislators hurting efforts against coronavirus," 26 Mar. 2021 All of the quarterbacks were told to self-isolate to comply with the league's COVID-19 protocol. — Scott Gleeson, USA TODAY, "Broncos' Kareem Jackson says NFL 'making example of us' for COVID-19 protocol violations," 30 Nov. 2020 The long bounces went the other direction and the Jazz took over: -- Sabonis overdribbled and tried to isolate Gobert without much success. — J. Michael, The Indianapolis Star, "Insider: Bad decisions with ball continue to cost Indiana Pacers late in games," 17 Apr. 2021 With players trying to isolate through the season to guard against COVID-19, the time off was a chance to decompress and reconnect with family. — Greg Luca, San Antonio Express-News, "Texas State volleyball pushed through unprecedented season to reach NCAA tournament," 13 Apr. 2021 Scientists also needed to isolate the virus’s spike protein from the bounty of genetic data provided by Chinese researchers. — Gina Kolata, New York Times, "Kati Kariko Helped Shield the World From the Coronavirus," 8 Apr. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective District 218 Superintendent Ty Harting said the numbers have been up because of prep sports and players needing to self-isolate due to close contact. — Mike Nolan, chicagotribune.com, "Two Southland school districts that increased in-person teaching see rise in COVID-19 isolations," 25 Apr. 2021 Previously, people who were exposed to the virus were required by the state’s health directives to self-isolate for at least 14 days. — From Usa Today Network And Wire Reports, USA TODAY, "Sculpture controversy, service industry blues, fighting YouTube: News from around our 50 states," 13 Apr. 2021 Employees, however, ranked isolation seventh, right after concerns such as job security, mental health and stress, and social unrest; isolate was ahead of topics such as child care, remote work and viability of their employer. — Susan Hunt Stevens, Forbes, "How Purpose-Based Initiatives Can Help Stressed-Out Employees," 16 Apr. 2021 Outbreaks happen, leaving the schools to contact trace and isolate students who are far from their families. — New York Times, "The Boarding-School Boom," 29 Mar. 2021 Students will not be allowed to self-isolate in the weeks leading up to the prom. — Alec Johnson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Brookfield Central, East High Schools to require negative COVID tests to attend prom," 20 Mar. 2021 The new arrivals combined with the lack of funding to test and, if needed, isolate migrants due to COVID-19 is a chief concern for Texas Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas. — Quinn Owen, ABC News, "Battle emerges between Biden administration and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott over migrant arrivals, COVID-19 testing," 13 Mar. 2021 The exception to that advice is for people who live in congregate settings and should, per the CDC, get tested and isolate after exposure regardless of symptoms. — Sarah Ladd, The Courier-Journal, "COVID-19 testing is down. So are Kentucky's low case numbers accurate?," 11 Mar. 2021 First & Free offers a full line of CBD isolate products that are derived from nature and designed to deliver the purist experience to its users. — Micolette Davis, Chron, "Save 20-30% on high quality CBD products for humans and dogs," 9 Mar. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Within a matter of months, B.1.427/429 grew from a single isolate to over half the cases in the state. — William A. Haseltine, Forbes, "The California Variant Is More Transmissible, Evokes Worse Symptoms, And May Resist Vaccines," 27 Feb. 2021 Electrolytes and aminos combined with pure CBD isolate will course through your veins, resulting in superior hydration and better stamina! — Micolette Davis, Chron, "Save 20-30% on high quality CBD products for humans and dogs," 9 Mar. 2021 McPLANT: Pea-protein isolate, pressed canola oil, bamboo cellulose . . . — Jay Martel, The New Yorker, "Macmuffin: A Tragedy," 8 Mar. 2021 That’s why Canopy is using a CBD isolate, which does not contain other plant compounds. — Chris Furnari, Forbes, "Canopy Growth Launches ‘Quatreau’ CBD Drinks In US," 2 Mar. 2021 Unlike most versions of CBD, an isolate does not contain any THC. — Katie Berohn, Good Housekeeping, "Everything You Need to Know About CBD Skincare," 29 Dec. 2020 Early in the pandemic, some hospitals suggested that mothers who test positive isolate from their infants; most no longer do, but policies vary from place to place. — Katharine Gammon, The Atlantic, "2020 Was a Terrible Year to Be Pregnant," 24 Dec. 2020 On-campus students who test positive isolate in their own rooms when possible, according to ASU policy. — Allison Pohle, WSJ, "Covid-19 Puts Resident Advisers on Front Lines of College Campuses," 9 Oct. 2020 For the last six months, Trump has refused even to try to set up a national test-trace-isolate program which, if properly implemented, would allow the return of something like normal life. — Ryan Cooper, TheWeek, "Trump has never stopped making the pandemic worse," 15 Sep. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'isolate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

4 May 2021

Cite this Entry

“Isolate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/isolate. Accessed 7 May. 2021.

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More Definitions for isolate

isolate

verb

English Language Learners Definition of isolate

: to put or keep (someone or something) in a place or situation that is separate from others

: to find and deal with (something, such as a problem) by removing other possibilities

technical : to separate (something, such as a chemical) from another substance : to get (something) or an amount of (something) that is not mixed with or attached to anything else

See the full definition for isolate in the English Language Learners Dictionary

isolate

verb

iso·late | \ ˈī-sə-ˌlāt

isolated; isolating

Kids Definition of isolate

: to place or keep apart from others Isolate any diseased plants.

isolate

transitive verb

iso·late | \ ˈī-sə-ˌlāt

isolated; isolating

Medical Definition of isolate

(Entry 1 of 2)

: to set apart from others: as

a : to separate (one with a contagious disease) from others not similarly infected

b : to separate (as a chemical compound) from all other substances : obtain pure or in a free state

isolate

noun

iso·late | \ ˈī-sə-lət

, -ˌlāt

Medical Definition of isolate (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : an individual (as a spore or single organism), a viable part of an organism (as a cell), or a strain that has been isolated (as from diseased tissue, contaminated water, or the air) also : a pure culture produced from such an isolate

2 : a relatively homogeneous population separated from related populations by geographic, biologic, or social factors or by human intervention

3 : a socially withdrawn individual

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