isolate
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to separate one person or thing from a group so they are alone.
v.to set apart or detach an individual or object from others to prevent contact or influence.
Simple“The high mountains isolate the small village from the rest of the country.”
In context“The political crisis served to isolate the regime from its former allies, leaving the leadership with few diplomatic options.”
UsageOften used in the passive voice to describe a state of being alone.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to keep a person or animal away from others to stop a disease from spreading.
v.to place an individual in quarantine or medical isolation to prevent the transmission of infectious agents.
Simple“The hospital had to isolate the patient to prevent the virus from spreading to others.”
In context“Public health protocols required the authorities to isolate any passengers displaying symptoms of the new strain upon arrival.”
Synonymsquarantinesequester - 03 C1 Advanced
v.to separate a single substance or chemical from a mixture to get it in a pure form.
v.to separate a specific substance, chemical, or microorganism from a complex mixture or culture.
Simple“Scientists were able to isolate the gene responsible for the plant's color.”
In context“The laboratory succeeded in isolating the active compound from the rare tropical bark, allowing for further pharmacological testing.”
UsageCommonly takes a direct object representing the substance being purified.
- 04 C2 Proficiency
n.a person or thing that has been separated from a larger group.
n.an individual, population, or substance that has been separated or exists in isolation.
Simple“The researcher studied a specific isolate of the bacteria found in the soil.”
In context“The study focused on a genetic isolate within the island population that showed unique resistance to the local climate.”
- 05 C2 Proficiency
adj.being alone or separated from others.
adj.existing in a state of isolation; solitary or detached.
Simple“He lived an isolate life in a cabin deep in the woods.”
In context“The poet described the isolate peak of the mountain, standing far above the clouds in silent majesty.”
Usage isolate the sick · isolate effect · isolate from
“The development would in effect divide the West Bank in two and isolate East Jerusalem.”
“This will be an ECONOMIC D-DAY, and we need all of our Allies to stand with the United States of America to isolate, and defeat, the Iran threat,” he wrote.”
Back-formation from isolated, from French isolé, from Italian isolato, from Latin īnsulatus (whence also insulate), see -ate (etymology 1, 2 and 3).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.