Make Your Point > Archived Issues > INSULATE
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pronounce
INSULATE:
Say it "IN suh late."
Or, if you prefer, "IN syuh late."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
The word insulate is so wonderfully useful in its abstract sense that I'm sharing it with you here in its own issue, separate from our closely related word insular. (Can you explain what it means to bridge someone's insularity?)
Let's see some abstract things that can be insulated:
1. If your childhood was insulated, it was shielded, cocooned, protected, or separated from harsh realities. Your history textbooks were probably full of wh___wa__ing: all the violence sugarcoated, the brutality reshaped into tales of honor.
2. If a company is insulated, it's shielded, cocooned, protected, or separated from misfortunes that other companies must endure. The executives do whatever they like, and they do it with im___ity: with freedom from any penalties or punishments.
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
definition:
Inside the word "insulate," you can see the Latin word for "island:" insula.
Literally speaking, to insulate something is to turn it into an island: to surround it with water.
More abstractly, to insulate things or people is to detach them from other people or places: to set them apart from others, separating them from other parts of the real world, as if they're on an island.
And more concretely, of course, to insulate things is to protect them so that they can't be reached by outside forces, like heat, cold, noise, or electricity.
grammatical bits:
Part of speech: verb, the transitive kind: "They've insulated him from the dangers of the real world."
Other common forms: insulated, insulating, insulation, insulative.
how to use it:
Although we often talk literally about insulated gloves, jackets, coffee mugs, lunch boxes, etc., in this issue, we'll focus on figurative usage.
Talk about people, places, decisions, and situations that insulate people--often from bad consequences, or from the surrounding reality. "He's been homeschooled, insulated from the pressures of public school." "Their small village is insulated from technological changes." "Her wealth has insulated her from the ordinary stress of scraping by."
examples:
"Before her recent success in the American entertainment industry...Ms. Chopra was already one of Bollywood’s most popular celebrities. It hasn’t insulated her from backlash and criticism in India."
— Arit John, New York Times, 13 August 2019
"According to [Neomi] Rao, ... if the House attempts to probe the president’s alleged wrongdoing on any basis other than impeachment, he is insulated from its demands."
— Mark Joseph Stern, Slate, 11 October 2019
has this page helped you understand "insulate"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "insulate" without saying "shield" or "isolate."
try it out:
Fill in the blanks: "(Somebody) (does something) to insulate (somebody else) from (something bad or difficult)."
Example: "States manipulate district lines to insulate politicians from competitive elections."
— Marc Elias, Washington Post, 3 January 2020
before you review, play:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Our game this month is "Subject Line Crosswords."
We'll revisit some of the email subject lines from 2019 issues, using them as a tool for recall.
Each day this month, see if you can complete the mini-crossword with words we studied last year. If you need extra clues, look below the puzzle to view definitions and parts of speech. And I'll share the answers in the following issue. Enjoy!
From the previous issue:
Extra clues:
ACROSS
1. verb meaning "to avoid something, often in a smart or sneaky way"
3. verb meaning "to hurt people emotionally, as if you're making deep, rough, irregular slices into them"
DOWN
2. noun meaning "a small amount of something"
Answers:
If you like, you can review the words circumvent, lacerate, and modicum.
Try this today:
Extra clues:
ACROSS
2. verb meaning "to try to back up and fix a mistake, change what you said, or entirely take back what you said"
3. adjective meaning "full of color, movement, showiness, and spectacle, as if it's being staged for our entertainment"
DOWN
1. noun meaning "a fake, frozen, and/or awkward smile or grimace"
review this word:
A. ALLOW.
B. EXPOSE.
C. DISCUSS.
2. The New York Times reported that _____ insulated a certain law firm from _____.
A. presidential campaigns .. billions in annual revenues
B. an encrypted messaging app .. government oversight
C. careful documentation .. a reputation for transparency
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.
I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
The word insulate is so wonderfully useful in its abstract sense that I'm sharing it with you here in its own issue, separate from our closely related word insular. (Can you explain what it means to bridge someone's insularity?) Inside the word "insulate," you can see the Latin word for "island:" insula.
Part of speech: verb, the transitive kind: "They've insulated him from the dangers of the real world."
Although we often talk literally about insulated gloves, jackets, coffee mugs, lunch boxes, etc., in this issue, we'll focus on figurative usage.
"Before her recent success in the American entertainment industry...Ms. Chopra was already one of Bollywood’s most popular celebrities. It hasn’t insulated her from backlash and criticism in India."
Explain the meaning of "insulate" without saying "shield" or "isolate."
Fill in the blanks: "(Somebody) (does something) to insulate (somebody else) from (something bad or difficult)."
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
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