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REFERENCE

isolate

v.
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford US //ˈaɪsəˌɫeɪt// iso·late Academic General-service Literary

v. to separate one person, group, or thing from others so they are alone. You might do this to study something closely or to stop a problem from spreading.

v. to separate a person, object, or substance from others to ensure it remains distinct or alone. Often used in scientific contexts to describe the extraction of a specific element or in social contexts regarding the removal of contact.


SIMPLE

The doctor had to isolate the patient with the flu.

CONTEXTUAL

Scientists managed to isolate the specific gene responsible for the plant's resistance to cold weather.

COMPLEX

By choosing to isolate the variable of temperature, the researchers could determine its exact impact on the chemical reaction without interference from other environmental factors.

Synonyms
Origin

Back-formation from isolated, from French isolé, from Italian isolato, from Latin īnsulatus (whence also insulate), see -ate (etymology 1, 2 and 3).

Usage

The verb is transitive and requires a direct object; frequently used with the preposition 'from'.

Pitfall

He felt isolated from the society.He felt isolated from society.When referring to the general community, 'society' is uncountable and does not take the definite article 'the'.

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