Isolation is the near or complete lack of social contact by an individual. Isolation or isolated may also refer to:

Sociology and psychology

* Isolation (health care), various measures taken to prevent contagious diseases from being spread ** Isolation ward, a separate ward used to isolate patients with infectious diseases *

Isolation (psychology) Isolation (german: Isolierung) is a defence mechanism in psychoanalytic theory first proposed by Sigmund Freud. While related to repression, the concept distinguishes itself in several ways. It is characterized as a mental process involving th ...

, a defense mechanism in psychoanalytic theory * Emotional isolation, a feeling of isolation despite a functioning social network * Isolation effect, a psychological effect of distinctive items more easily remembered

Mathematics

Real-root isolation In mathematics, and, more specifically in numerical analysis and computer algebra, real-root isolation of a polynomial consist of producing disjoint intervals of the real line, which contain each one (and only one) real root of the polynomial, and ...

* Isolation lemma, a technique used to reduce the number of solutions to a computational problem.

Natural sciences

*Electrical or galvanic isolation, isolating functional sections of electrical systems to prevent current flowing between them *An

isolated system In physical science, an isolated system is either of the following: # a physical system so far removed from other systems that it does not interact with them. # a thermodynamic system enclosed by rigid immovable walls through which neither m ...

, a system without any external exchange * Isolating language, a type of language with a low morpheme-per-word ratio *

Isolation (database systems) In database systems, isolation determines how transaction integrity is visible to other users and systems. A lower isolation level increases the ability of many users to access the same data at the same time, but increases the number of concurre ...

, how and when the changes made by one operation become visible to other concurrent operations * Isolation (microbiology) techniques to separate microbes from a sample containing mixtures of microbes *

Reproductive isolation The mechanisms of reproductive isolation are a collection of evolutionary mechanisms, behaviors and physiological processes critical for speciation. They prevent members of different species from producing offspring, or ensure that any offspring ...

in population genetics, prevents members of two different species from producing offspring if they cross or mate * Topographic isolation of a summit, the great circle distance to the nearest point of equal elevation * Vibration isolation, in engineering, the process of isolating an object from the source of vibrations *In electronics, a measure of how well two ports are disconnected in devices such as directional couplers and

circulators A circulator is a passive, non-reciprocal three- or four-port device that only allows a microwave or radio-frequency signal to exit through the port directly after the one it entered. Optical circulators have similar behavior. Ports are where an ...

Entertainment

In film

* ''Isolation'' (2005 film), an Irish horror film * ''Isolation'' (2009 film), a British documentary film *''Isolation'' (2015 film), a drama film featuring Dominic Purcell, Stephen Lang, and Tricia Helfer

In television

* "Isolation" (''The Walking Dead''), an episode of the television series ''The Walking Dead''

In music

*"Isolation", a song by Die Krupps from 1995 album '' III - Odyssey of the Mind'' * "Isolation" (Alter Bridge song), 2010 * ''Isolation'' (Carpathian album), 2008 * ''Isolation'' (Fear My Thoughts album), 2008 * "Isolation" (John Lennon song), 1970 * "Isolation" (Joy Division song), 1980 * ''Isolation'' (Kali Uchis album), 2018 * "Isolation" (Kreator song), 1995 * ''Isolation'' (Toto album), 1984

Other

Isolation (illusion) In contact juggling, poi spinning, hooping and other types of object manipulation, an isolation is an illusion whereby a prop appears to float in space, with the performer's hands and body moving around it. In reality the performer is supporting ...

, an illusion whereby a prop appears to float in space *

Isolation (poker) In poker, an isolation play is usually a raise designed to encourage one or more players to fold, specifically for the purpose of making the hand a one-on-one contest with a specific opponent. For example, if an opponent raises and a player suspe ...

, a play specifically for the purpose of making the hand a one-on-one contest with a specific opponent