isolate

C1 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˈaɪ.sə.leɪt/ See IPA manual

Freq #10841

Meanings

1

verb
to separate someone or something from others

Doctors decided to isolate the patient to stop the infection from spreading.
2

verb
to keep someone apart so that they have little contact with other people

His extreme views isolated him from the rest of the group.
3

verb
to separate a single substance or thing from a mixture in order to study it

Scientists managed to isolate the gene responsible for the disease.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to separate someone or... quarantine insulate

2 verb · to keep someone apart so... sequester set apart

Word family

Forms isolatesisolating

Derived forms coisolatedeisolateimmunoisolateisolantisolateenonisolateoligoisolatingpreisolatereisolatesubisolate

Etymology

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

isolé French isolato Italian īnsulatus Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# isolate

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈaɪ.sə.leɪt/
**Frequency rank:** 10841

## Meanings
1. to separate someone or something from others
2. to keep someone apart so that they have little contact with other people
3. to separate a single substance or thing from a mixture in order to study it

## Examples
- Doctors decided to isolate the patient to stop the infection from spreading.
- His extreme views isolated him from the rest of the group.
- Scientists managed to isolate the gene responsible for the disease.

## Derived Forms
- coisolate
- deisolate
- immunoisolate
- isolant
- isolatee
- nonisolate
- oligoisolating
- preisolate
- reisolate
- subisolate

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: isolé
- Root: isolato
- Root: īnsulatus

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

## AI Etymology
Isolate is a back-formation from isolated, from French isolé, from Italian isolato, from Latin īnsulatus (whence also insulate), see -ate (etymology 1, 2 and 3). Important historical forms include French isolé, Italian isolato, and Latin īnsulatus. In present-day use, it can mean to separate someone or something from others, or to keep someone apart so that they have little contact with other people. Derived formations include coisolate, deisolate, immunoisolate, isolant, isolatee.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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