Synonyms of isolation

isolation

noun

ˌī-sə-ˈlā-shən 

as in solitude

the state of being alone or kept apart from others

after the long book tour, the author looked forward to the isolation of his office

Synonyms & Similar Words

• solitude
• privacy
• loneliness
• segregation
• seclusion
• aloneness
• separateness
• insulation
• solitariness
• sequestration
• confinement
• secludedness
• internment
• vacuum
• retirement
• quarantine
• withdrawal
• lonesomeness
• incarceration
• ghettoization

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• society
• company
• companionship
• fellowship
• camaraderie
• comradeship

Synonym Chooser

How is the word isolation distinct from other similar nouns?

The words seclusion and solitude are common synonyms of isolation. While all three words mean "the state of one who is alone," isolation stresses detachment from others often involuntarily.

the isolation of the village in winter

In what contexts can seclusion take the place of isolation?

The synonyms seclusion and isolation are sometimes interchangeable, but seclusion suggests a shutting away or keeping apart from others often connoting deliberate withdrawal from the world or retirement to a quiet life.

lived in pastoral seclusion

When might solitude be a better fit than isolation?

While the synonyms solitude and isolation are close in meaning, solitude may imply a condition of being apart from all human beings or of being cut off by wish or circumstances from one's usual associates.

a few quiet hours of solitude

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of isolation

Fox News Media placed four people in complete isolation on the day of President Trump’s inauguration — no phones, internet, TV, etc., per The Hollywood Reporter. —Cate Martel, The Hill, 15 Apr. 2025

Fill up a plate, disappear into an isolation booth, and transfer the food into a travel container. —Natalia Senanayake, People.com, 14 Apr. 2025

The Clippers play an isolation brand of offense that plays directly into the strengths of Minnesota’s defense, but the Clippers also have the personnel necessary to give Minnesota’s offense issues if the Wolves don’t generate enough offense with their defense. —Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 12 Apr. 2025

Tears are often the most obvious sign, but sadness may also show up as anger, isolation, or clinginess. —Jenna Autuori-Dedic, Parents, 11 Apr. 2025