Word
isolate
Phoneticsiso·late
/ˈaɪsəˌɫeɪt/
Definitions
01to separate people or things
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.
日本語:孤立する※
“The high mountains isolate the small village from the rest of the country.”
“The political crisis served to isolate the regime from its former allies, leaving the leadership with few diplomatic options.”
Usage
Often used in the passive voice to describe a state of being alone.
02medical quarantine
B2 · Upper Intermediate Medicine
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.
日本語:隔離する※
“The hospital had to isolate the patient to prevent the virus from spreading to others.”
“Public health protocols required the authorities to isolate any passengers displaying symptoms of the new strain upon arrival.”
Synonyms
03to extract a substance
C1 · Advanced Science Technical · Academic
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.
日本語:分離する※
“Scientists were able to isolate the gene responsible for the plant's color.”
“The laboratory succeeded in isolating the active compound from the rare tropical bark, allowing for further pharmacological testing.”
Usage
Commonly takes a direct object representing the substance being purified.
04something separated
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Technical · Academic
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.
Español:aislado
“The researcher studied a specific isolate of the bacteria found in the soil.”
“The study focused on a genetic isolate within the island population that showed unique resistance to the local climate.”
05alone or separate
C2 · Proficiency Literary
adj. being alone or separated from others.
adj. existing in a state of isolation; solitary or detached.
“He lived an isolate life in a cabin deep in the woods.”
“The poet described the isolate peak of the mountain, standing far above the clouds in silent majesty.”
Antonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “isolate” in context.
Verb
01. isolate effect
“Scientists are trying to isolate the effect of the new drug on the nervous system.”
verb + noun
02. isolate from
“The patient was placed in a private room to isolate him from other people.”
verb + prep
03. isolate the sick
Real-World Examples
“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.” “That’s not to say it isn’t a good idea to try to isolate the far right.” “Moving away from peer review can also isolate your work, Thorstad said.” Etymology
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.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper IntermediateOxford
- Updated
- アルファベット
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/isolate
※ 機械で選んだ訳語です。ネイティブスピーカーによる確認はまだです。
「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0