self-quarantine
verb
self-quar·an·tine
ˌself-ˈkwȯr-ən-ˌtēn
-ˈkwär-
self-quarantined; self-quarantining; self-quarantines
: to refrain from any contact with other individuals for a period of time (such as two weeks) during the outbreak of a contagious disease usually by remaining in one's home and limiting contact with family members
Note: To reduce transmission of a contagious disease during an outbreak, individuals are typically asked by health officials to self-quarantine following known contact with an infectious person or after returning from a region where cases of the disease are widely reported.
As the coronavirus spreads across the country, thousands of people who may have been exposed to the virus through travel abroad or contact with an infected person have been asked to self-quarantine for two weeks to help contain the outbreak.—Deanna Pan
Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) announced on Sunday evening that he will be self-quarantining at home in Texas after learning that he had a "brief conversation and a handshake" with someone at the Conservative Political Action Conference who later tested positive for the coronavirus.—Matt Wilstein
self-quarantine
noun
plural self-quarantines
[Sam] Page said the woman's father did not comply with the health department's instructions and left self-quarantine to take another daughter to a school function on Saturday.
—Dawson White
Self-quarantines only work if people are willing to inconvenience themselves for the public good.
—Richmond (Virginia) Times Dispatch
Cite this Entry
“Self-quarantine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-quarantine. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
