ENGLISH
REFERENCE

isolated

v.
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford US //ˈaɪsəˌɫeɪtəd// UK //ˈaɪsəlˌeɪtɪd// iso·lat·ed General-service

v. to separate one person, animal, or thing from others so that it is alone. You do this to stop a disease from spreading or to study one specific part of something.

v. to separate a person, animal, or substance from others to prevent the spread of infection or to study it in a pure state. Transitive — requires a direct object.


SIMPLE

The doctor isolated the sick patient to protect others.

CONTEXTUAL

During the outbreak, health officials worked quickly to isolate anyone who had been in contact with the virus.

COMPLEX

Researchers successfully isolated the specific protein responsible for the allergic reaction, allowing them to develop a more targeted treatment for chronic sufferers.

Synonyms
Origin

A rendering into English of French isolé.

Usage

The verb is transitive and takes a direct object; often used in the passive voice in medical contexts.

Pitfall

The patient isolated from the group.The patient was isolated from the group.In medical contexts, 'isolate' is usually passive because the separation is performed by a doctor or authority.

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