Synonyms of isolation

isolation

noun

ˌī-sə-ˈlā-shən 

as in solitude

the state of being alone or kept apart from others

after the long book tour, the author looked forward to the isolation of his office

Synonyms & Similar Words

• solitude
• privacy
• loneliness
• segregation
• seclusion
• aloneness
• separateness
• insulation
• solitariness
• sequestration
• confinement
• secludedness
• internment
• vacuum
• retirement
• quarantine
• withdrawal
• lonesomeness
• incarceration
• ghettoization

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• society
• company
• companionship
• fellowship
• camaraderie
• comradeship

Synonym Chooser

How is the word isolation distinct from other similar nouns?

The words seclusion and solitude are common synonyms of isolation. While all three words mean "the state of one who is alone," isolation stresses detachment from others often involuntarily.

the isolation of the village in winter

In what contexts can seclusion take the place of isolation?

The synonyms seclusion and isolation are sometimes interchangeable, but seclusion suggests a shutting away or keeping apart from others often connoting deliberate withdrawal from the world or retirement to a quiet life.

lived in pastoral seclusion

When might solitude be a better fit than isolation?

While the synonyms solitude and isolation are close in meaning, solitude may imply a condition of being apart from all human beings or of being cut off by wish or circumstances from one's usual associates.

a few quiet hours of solitude

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of isolation

The first half of the film (a rather short watch at around 80 minutes plus lots of credits) plays a bit muted on the horror, playing more like a psychological thriller focusing on Sam’s isolation and the paranoia of being back on Earth. —Rafael Motamayor, IndieWire, 8 Mar. 2025

In place of lockdowns, the statement contended, the nation could simply let infections spread among most of the population while the old and infirm remained in relative isolation. —Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 7 Mar. 2025

Two of the contacts are already symptomatic and have been admitted to an isolation hospital ward, an American official in Uganda said in the meeting. —Abdi Latif Dahir, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2025

Things looked brighter just four years ago, before the primary care expansion, as Walgreens emerged from the pandemic, buoyed in part by its key role in providing COVID vaccinations for Americans yearning to emerge from lockdown isolation. —The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 7 Mar. 2025