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

As their relationship develops, the roots of Sophie’s isolation are revealed—a turn that charges the novel’s argument for the value of connection, literary and personal. — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026

Finally, the companion chatbot bills in front of state legislatures are an opportunity for legislators to encourage greater access for independent third parties to conduct evaluations related to social isolation. — Ned Cooper, STAT, 26 Oct. 2026

Notions of loneliness and alienation are routinely attached to the painting, Nighthawks now deemed by many to be a totemic ode to the isolation of modern life. — Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026

The next government will either push Israel further down the path of religious nationalism, permanent conflict, and international isolation—or toward a new generation of leadership. — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 26 Oct. 2026