student asking question

What's the difference between "lock-up", "isolate" and "quarantine"? Are they always interchangeable?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

When one says “locked up/away,” it is usually meant in the literal sense - they are being confined to a space they are not allowed to leave, like jail. Sometimes, it’s used in more casual instances as an exaggerated expression for being “grounded” (not allowed to leave home). Ex: I snuck out last night and got caught. Now I’m being locked up at home for a week. Ex: The suspect got locked up for 24 hours. “Isolation” means to be in a state of being kept away from others, and this can also be meant in a non-literal sense, such as feeling isolated from society. Ex: She felt isolated from her family and friends. Ex: The inmate attacked another inmate and was put in isolation. Lastly, “quarantine” is similar to being locked up but is usually only meant in the medical sense, such as when someone has a contagious disease and needs to be kept apart from people. You wouldn’t use this term to refer to inmates, for example. Ex: The patient had dengue and was quarantined until her recovered. Ex: Most countries require new arrivals to quarantine for two weeks.

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