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

The moment when the couple’s infant child is taken from them by the authorities is devastating, each of them capturing a sense of helpless isolation from themselves, their community and each other. — Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026

When his mother is kidnapped, grief pushes him beyond his isolation and into a journey toward maturity and reconciliation. — Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026

The death, the subsequent isolation of hundreds of co-workers and close contacts, and reports that another worker may have pneumonia have fueled global concern about a rare form of plague. — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026

Fitness classes can also provide routine, accountability and social interaction, potentially helping counter the isolation and apathy some people with Parkinson’s experience, Fleisher said. — Jennifer Fields, Washington Post, 8 Oct. 2026