isolation
C1Formal to neutral
Definition
Meaning
The state of being separated from other people, groups, or things, either physically or socially.
In scientific contexts, the process or result of obtaining a pure substance, microorganism, or piece of information by separating it from a mixture or its original context; in psychology, a defence mechanism involving the separation of thoughts or feelings from their context; in geopolitics, a policy of remaining apart from the affairs of other groups or nations.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word implies a sense of distance, separation, and lack of contact or communication. It can be a neutral description of a state, a deliberate action (like scientific isolation), or carry negative connotations of loneliness, exclusion, or vulnerability.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in core meaning or usage. The related adjective 'isolated' is used identically.
Connotations
Identical connotations in both varieties.
Frequency
Comparably high frequency in both academic and general discourse.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
live in ~suffer from ~feel a sense of ~keep/place sb/sth in ~end/break the ~Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “in splendid isolation”
- “an island of isolation”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to a company operating without partners or to analyzing a specific problem separately from others. (e.g., 'We need to examine the marketing failure in isolation from the product issues.')
Academic
Common in biology (reproductive isolation), medicine (patient isolation), sociology (social isolation), and political science. (e.g., 'The study examined the effects of long-term social isolation on cognitive function.')
Everyday
Used to describe feelings of loneliness, being cut off from friends/family, or a remote location. (e.g., 'After moving to the new town, she struggled with a deep sense of isolation.')
Technical
In computing, refers to processes running independently (process isolation, fault isolation). In engineering, refers to dampening vibration or sound.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The hospital will isolate patients with the infectious disease.
- We must isolate the variable to solve the equation.
American English
- The CDC recommends isolating for five days after a positive test.
- Engineers worked to isolate the source of the vibration.
adjective
British English
- They live in an isolated cottage on the moor.
- It was an isolated incident, not a pattern.
American English
- The town is pretty isolated since the highway closed.
- She felt isolated in her new job.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The small village is in isolation in the mountains.
- The sick child was kept in isolation at the hospital.
- After the argument, he faced a period of isolation from his friends.
- Scientists studied the bacteria in isolation.
- The policy risked leading the country into diplomatic and economic isolation.
- A feeling of profound isolation can accompany chronic illness.
- The evolutionary concept of geographic isolation explains how new species can form.
- The author's late works are characterised by a thematic preoccupation with existential isolation.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'ISLAND' + 'NATION'. An island nation is geographically isolated from other countries.
Conceptual Metaphor
ISOLATION IS DISTANCE / ISOLATION IS A CONTAINER (e.g., 'trapped in isolation', 'emerging from isolation').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'изоляция' in the sense of electrical insulation, which is a correct but context-specific translation.
- Avoid using 'одиночество' (loneliness) as a direct synonym, as 'isolation' is more about the state of being apart, which may or may not involve the emotional experience of loneliness.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: 'He felt very isolation.' (Correct: 'He felt very isolated' or 'He felt a deep sense of isolation.')
- Incorrect preposition: 'on isolation' (Correct: 'in isolation').
Practice
Quiz
In which context does 'isolation' NOT typically imply a negative consequence?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
In medical contexts, 'isolation' separates sick, contagious people from others. 'Quarantine' separates and restricts the movement of people who were exposed to a disease but are not yet sick, to see if they become ill.
Yes, though less common. It can be positive when chosen for focus, peace, or privacy (e.g., 'a writer's isolation in a cabin', 'the beneficial isolation of a meditation retreat'). It is often neutral in technical/scientific contexts.
Yes, the prepositional phrase 'in isolation' is very common and means 'separately' or 'on its own' (e.g., 'This statistic is meaningless in isolation; we need more context.').
The related adjective is 'isolated'. The related verb is 'to isolate'. The noun 'isolation' comes from the past participle of the Latin verb 'insulare' (to make into an island).
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