A rule, period, place, or act of enforced separation used first for disease and pest control, and now also for political, technical, or other protective containment.
The lab kept uncertain samples in quarantine until the results came back.
Diplomats described the sanctions as a political quarantine.
The antivirus program quarantined the suspicious attachment.
Passengers exposed to the virus were placed under quarantine.
The security tool moved the infected file into quarantine.
Similar words
seclusion
separation
detention
sequestration
isolate
separate
holding area
isolation
contain
restrict
Meanings
Disease-control isolation
noun
health
neutral
A period, rule, place, or system that keeps people, animals, plants, ships, or goods apart to prevent disease or pests from spreading.
Examples
The dog stayed in quarantine until the health checks were complete.
Passengers exposed to the virus were placed under quarantine.
Imported plants may be held in quarantine to keep pests out.
The old port kept suspected ships in quarantine offshore.
Officials ended the quarantine after repeated tests showed no infection.
Similar words
isolation
separation
detention
containment
seclusion
Enforced separation
noun
general
neutral
A state of being kept apart from normal contact, communication, or use, often for safety, political pressure, or technical containment.
Examples
The security tool moved the infected file into quarantine.
Diplomats described the sanctions as a political quarantine.
The lab kept uncertain samples in quarantine until the results came back.
Suspicious emails go to quarantine before they reach staff inboxes.
The proposal remained in quarantine while lawyers reviewed the risk.
Similar words
separation
containment
sequestration
holding area
restriction
Put into isolation
verb
health
neutral
To keep a person, animal, place, object, file, or group apart from normal contact or use in order to control risk.
Examples
Health officials quarantined the travellers after possible exposure.
The farm quarantines new animals before they join the herd.
The antivirus program quarantined the suspicious attachment.
Border inspectors can quarantine goods that may carry pests.
The committee quarantined the proposal until the legal review ended.
Similar words
isolate
separate
detain
sequester
contain
restrict
Etymology
From French quarantaine and Italian quarantena, tied to quaranta, forty, from Latin quadraginta. The disease-control sense grew from the historical forty-day detention of ships.
FAQ
What does quarantine mean?
Quarantine means enforced separation to prevent disease, pests, or another risk from spreading.
What is the difference between quarantine and isolation?
Quarantine is usually for possible exposure, while isolation separates people known to be sick.
Can quarantine be a verb?
Yes. To quarantine someone or something is to put it under quarantine.
Does quarantine always last forty days?
No. The word comes from a forty-day practice, but modern quarantine periods vary by rule, disease, or risk.
Can files be in quarantine?
Yes. Security software can put a suspicious file in quarantine, meaning it is held apart from normal use.
What is the past tense of quarantine?
The past tense is quarantined, and the present participle is quarantining.
Where does quarantine come from?
Quarantine comes through French and Italian words connected with forty, from Latin quadraginta.
Can quarantine be used figuratively?
Yes. A country, file, proposal, or idea can be in quarantine when it is deliberately kept apart from normal contact or use.
Comments & contributions
Know this word from another angle? Add a correction, a nuance, or a usage note. New posts go public after a quick review.
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Dashing Okapi
Jul 8
I still hear quarantine and immediately think banana bread era, unfortunate brain damage from 2020
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Contribution
Placid Lark
Jul 4
Reddit has its own use too: a quarantined subreddit is not in medical quarantine, it is a community put behind warnings / restricted access because the site thinks it is risky or rule-breaking. Not the same as banned.
3
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Fancy Kudu
Jul 5
same metaphor as antivirus really, keep it away from normal traffic first
1
Contribution
Fresh Cardinal
Jun 19
After covid, people got very loose with this word. I was in quarantine sometimes meant I had a positive test, sometimes meant my roommate had one, sometimes just meant my office told everyone to stay home. In official health wording those are not all the same, but in casual talk ppl blur them a lot.
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Lively Owl
Jun 29
yeah quarantine snacks and quarantine haircut were not exactly technical phrases lol